Digimon x One Piece Dimensional Trap!
by crestofawesome165
Summary: It was supposed to be a regular trip to the Digital World, but on the way, something happened. They found themselves trapped in a world of pirates and Devil Fruits. Why has this happened?
1. Digi Disaster!

New story, and apparently the only of the Digimon – One Piece crossover genre. Let's see if it'll work!

Also, as for my other stories, I might update them soon, at least one or two before Christmas!

**Dimensional Trap**

**Digi – Disaster!**

_Odaiba: Kamiya Residence_

It was a warm August day, with leaves blowing in the wind leaving behind a golden trail to complement the bright, clear blue sky that engulfed all of Odaiba and surrounding areas. However, this light was soon to be replaced by a digitally woven sky that was as erratic as Davis's attendance record lately.

The DigiDestined, old and new, had gathered at Izzy's apartment having decided to visit the Digital World as a means to celebrate T.K. finally asking out Kari, and also Matt managing to secure a record deal with the foreign label 'Roadrunner'. However, even with almost all the Destined gathered, Davis was nowhere to be seen. Izzy had made it a point that they should wait for him to arrive before heading off to the digital world.

"He's _still_ not here!" rasped Yolei, beginning to lose her patience under the strain that was Davis's poor time keeping skills.

"Y-Yolei, please don't go berserk again!" cried Cody, knowing and fearing the ungodly wrath that the fiery tempered purple haired girl held before him, almost bracing himself when her Medusa like eyes met his small, insignificant eyes.

T.K. held his girlfriend in his arm, tightening his grip and pulling her in at seeing Yolei rise and tower over them, causing Kari to flinch slightly and fall into T.K.'s reassuring chest while cowering slightly.

"No, not this time!" she screeched, raising her fist in the air and causing the entire group that was convened to move back slightly "I'll kill him!"

"Kill who?" said a very familiar voice, almost echoing in the terrified silence that followed its announcement of its owners presence. They all slowly turned to Davis, carrying a small blue reptilian creature on his shoulder as he gave a quizzical look to the Destined. DemiVeemon tried to move as he sensed a very potent bloodlust from Yolei.

Yolei smiled at Davis warmly, all the while walking toward him with a chilling malice trailing behind her footsteps, finally standing before the confused boy with a small, pink bird like creature in her arms and blushing slightly before giving a malicious knee into Davis's special spot, turning back and respectfully asking if the Destined could leave now. Davis simply flopped to the ground apologising incoherently, barely managing anything beyond a whisper.

Everyone cringed at the mere thought that Yolei would be questioned by Davis as to why such force was necessary. Sora, Mimi and Kari looked on with the most anguish as they knew full well that _must_ have hurt, but luckily for them not to the same level of understanding of the boys.

"Mimi, are you about ready to go?" asked Izzy, speaking into the small mobile he was holding in his right hand whilst reaching for his Digivice with his free hand, receiving a very warm compliance from Mimi, and turning back to the other Destined.

"Joe... have you got medical supplies?" he said with somewhat of a squint as his eyes met the currently unable to move Davis, almost as an indication to his elder friend to attend to Davis's... 'wound'.

"Yeah, but Izzy, I can't repair manhood with a bandage." Joe was quite sarcastic in his undertone, almost ready to double over laughing at the injury his friend had received before him thanks to a still pissed off Yolei. Everyone let out a chuckle, even Kari, who just a moment ago was feeling anguish at the pain Davis must be feeling and Yolei who had caused said pain and anguish with a girlishly innocent smile.

"So, yeah... we ready to go?" Izzy asked, all the while staring at Davis as he sluggishly began to stand and walk toward the group before falling back on his knees again. The rest of the group nodded, and pulled out their varying generational Digivices, pointing them at the screen before them as an enveloping blue flash began to surround them and give an unusual tug.

The blue flash still pulled the children in as usual, but once inside the Digital tunnel, it begun to break apart, cracking and breaking like glass fragments, putting the children into a free fall as they screamed at the top of their lungs.

Suddenly, a new scream was also heard. It was deafening as the owner came closer and closer to the falling Destined, revealing their friend Mimi, who had entered the Digital Gate at the agreed time from America. The fall lasted several minutes and the darkness thickened, until a light glittered within the black void, almost cushioning the children for a moment before the free falling recommenced above a large volume of water next to an islands rim. Silence followed after the Destined had finally made their way to the sea, as a thunderous crash could be heard from the local island not 50 meters away.

_Hitou Island: Grand Line_

It was a warm August day, with leaves blowing in the wind leaving behind a golden trail to complement the bright, clear blue sky that engulfed all of Hitou Island and surrounding areas. It was a mostly deserted island with few inhabitants, mostly only visited as a resupply point for pirates heading toward Water 7 and the Shabaody Archipelago, the half way point of the Grand Line.

Coming outside of a local tavern wearing a disappointed face was a relatively tall, stern young man wearing a cream coloured hat over his eyes with a set of large beads dangling atop his well toned chest and wearing several bangles and a strange magnetic compass on his wrists. He wore black shorts with several pouches upon them, wearing a loose belt with the insignia of an 'Ace' on it.

"Another dead end... has no one seen this bastard at all?" He muttered to himself, lowering his brows violently at the mentioning of an individual he had been searching for vigorously for a full year. Looking upward at the clear sky, he sighed deeply, lamenting at his newest dead end as he held a note in his clenched hand entitled clearly "Brownbeard Tab."

Whilst walking down the small row of shacks assembled by the few inhabitants of Hitou, he glanced back up at the sky remorsefully as he walked within 30 feet of his specially constructed Stryker ship, hearing 16 screams echoing from the sky, recognizing only 11 human cries and left astounded at the 5 inhuman cries resounding in his ears. He kept looking intently up at the sky, bracing himself for any danger that may befall the quiet community of Hitou Island that had catered him so kindly and not reported him to the nearest Marines.

Finally, he made out 11 human shaped shadows followed by what seemed to be 5 mere dots upon the unblemished sky as they quickly descended upon the port area, landing about 50 meters out to sea from his Stryker with a thunderous crash that shook him and the sleeping fisherman nearby into attention, as he ran over to the awakened man with a curious but concerned look upon his face.

"Old man, can you get those people back inshore!" barked the jet black haired youngster, who received a confused and dazed look.

"W-what's...? Why don't _you_ go then?" said the fisherman, clearly uncaring toward the young man before him as he rubbed his eye "W-wait! That mark on your back! Who the hell are you, kid?"

"You've gotta be freaking kidding me! ...my name is Ace, and people are drowning because you are being a lazy old -!" He stopped, noticing out of the corner of his eye two heads surfacing, Tai and Matt, followed by others that were being supported by their fellows. Deciding to help, Ace ran furiously toward his Stryker, jumping forward and gliding into the small vessel, untying it from the wooden in one fluid motion and jarred as his ship began moving toward the children and their pets in the water with a fiery kick-start caused by Ace's ability.

_Hitou Harbour Area_

Tai felt winded upon impact with the water. He was almost certain he may have fractured his rib, but nothing else. He opened his eyes to a violently stinging pain in his eyes because of the salt in the seawater, eventually adjusting slightly and seeing two of the Destined sinking before him.

It was Izzy and Mimi holding each other in a tight hug while unconscious, having held each other like that ever since the second free fall began just as Kari and T.K. where doing around 15 meters behind them in the shallow but still rather deep seashore, separated by Hitou's shoal that cut across it and met an abandoned shack on the opposite side of the small village. He madly made a B-line for Mimi and Izzy, noticing Matt doing the same for Kari and T.K. whilst heading off toward Cody and Yolei as the others where sinking at a much slower rate than the four huddled ones that were grabbed by the two best friends. Upon surfacing with insane kicking strength, Tai and Matt's red burning eyes adjusted painfully to the surfaces light, tearing up unintentionally because of it. They spotted the shore nearby and screamed weakly for help, gasping at remembering the force of impact had on them. They thankfully noticed a strange looking one man craft speeding toward them at an abnormal speed, leaving steam trails in its wake, but not being ones to question anything in the sea with several unconscious people still underneath them in the water.

As the Stryker slowed and stopped before them, they saw Ace loom over them, blocking out the suns rays and letting them get a full view of him.

"Pass your injured here and get the rest up! I'll take them to shore and come back in about 30 seconds, alright!" ordered Ace, giving a focused look at the two teenagers below him as they handed the four unconscious youths to him, for a second admiring his raw strength as he managed to carry all of them atop his back and broad shoulders without any sign of exertion. After he headed back to the shore, Matt and Tai dived back down to retrieve the remaining Destined with Tai attempting to carry Davis as well before he woke up and gruntingly dived down to retrieve the Digimon that had arrived with them.

_Abandoned Shack_

Everyone had been saved, all with slight injuries upon impact but still rather safe. Mimi and Sora remained unconscious on a mattress found in the isolated shack across the sandy shoal, as the others warmed up around a fire whilst Ace simply stared with astonishment at all the children surviving the incident with little or no injuries, but mostly staring intently at the Digimon sitting beside their respective partners. He had seen many phenomena over his three years in the Grand Line; Giants, Devil Fruit users and his dear friends that resided within the mysterious pirate graveyard known as the New World such as Oars Jr.

"So... who the hell are you?" Ace said, receiving many confused and secretive sneers from the teenagers before him, as the partner Digimon stood proudly before him, bracing for any unwanted movement that might befall them. "And... what are _you?" _he said with a lamenting smirk, as he had discovered something new within the Grand Line.

As the children looked at one another, wondering who would answer him, Tai turned from the small fire they had surrounded to face the man sitting beside the wall while resting his head lazily in his palm. "How about you answer a question and then we do?"

"...Fair enough, I guess." He said, bracing his arm so as to not look bored before his new interrogators, but upon thinking of it that way, let out a great smirk that irked all the children that where conscious except Joe and Izzy.

"Is this the Digital World?" Tai asked almost scornfully at this brash new ally he had made at sea. But was rather unnerved by the curt, questioning brow Ace directed back at him.

"The Digital... wha-?" Ace lifted his head from his palm, raising it to remove his hat and reveal his confused face that was hidden previously to the Destined.

"I'll take that as a no..." Tai said somewhat disappointed at the response he had received. "Your turn."

"What are those creatures?" he pointed at the closest Digimon, Upamon, and followed the small creature as it made an escape to Cody's arms and revelled in the embrace and protection he felt at his master's touch.

"Their called Digimon, their a lifeform made up of data from the world's data stream network, all forming a duplicate 'shadow' world in which Digimon live. But when we tried to get to the Digital World, it all broke apart like glass... and we fell here..." Izzy took on the role of the scientific explanations expert, but gave a simple answer as he was still bewildered at the mysterious destruction of the Digital Port and their following fall into the sea, wherever it is. But the biggest reason was his concern for the girl lying unconscious behind him, Mimi, who he felt a great tug towards lately when he began webcam calls with her just a little while before.

"Like glass, eh?" Ace thought deeply for a moment, as he believed such a thing sounded familiar to him. Upon realising, he also thought about how different wherever the children came from must be if they didn't know. "Maybe it was a Devil Fruit ability."

"Devil Fruit?" The group unanimously said, all showing signs of delirium as they brainstormed on what he meant, to which he gave a heavy sigh.

"Fine, I'll explain. Devil Fruit's are great treasures that lie dormant beneath the sea. They were enchanted long ago by sea devils, and the consumer of the fruit gains a unique ability, but becomes unable to move when in seawater, not exactly something to take likely in this Golden Age of Pirates, however..." Ace lifted up his right hand and extends his foremost pointer finger at the ceiling, with his finger becoming iridescent for a brief moment before a small flicker sparks above it and created a small flame "...I ate the Flare – Flare Fruit, and as such I can convert my body into a natural element with no set limit as to the amount of the element produced. This is the power of a Devil Fruit group named Logia Fruits."

Everyone gawked at Ace, staring with a mixture of expressions at his finger, all seemingly disappointed when the flame was put out by Ace moving his hand and planting it onto his knee. "So... what are these groups... and the Golden Age you were talking about-"

"I get to ask a question first, right?" Ace's carefree expression darkened quickly, as he stared intently at the group he faced, causing them all to flinch at the man of fire. "Have you seen or heard of a man called Marshall D. Teach?"

A deathly silence ensued and made the whole group that were awake to look at Ace with a wince, knowing that he may not like the answer he received.

"N-no, why?" Kari broke the awkward silence, gaining a lightened glare from Ace, who sighed heavily and looked depressingly at the floor as he clenched his fists in a silent outburst of anger as the children stared on in disbelief over their situation in this strange world that possessed humans with similar abilities to a Digimon, such as Ace and Flamedramon.

A mumbled yawn was heard behind them, as they looked hesitantly around to see Mimi staring on dazed at the group and shaking Sora awake when she realised that her best friend slept beside her sweetly. As she got up, she looked over toward Ace, and recognised Matt and Tai sat beside him as she received a quick summary over what had been discussed up to that point while she slept with Mimi on the mattress.

"So, what are these Devil Fruit groups then?" quizzed Davis, raising his trademark cheesy smirk to lighten Ace's distressed mood after receiving _another_ dead end to Marshall D. Teach, the man he had been hunting for with the finesse of a bounty hunter.

Ace smirked back weakly and raised his hand toward the ceiling, igniting another small fire, but this time with three fingertips in a listing motion.

"Logia is the name of my Devil Fruit type. It allows the user to become a certain element such as fire and generate limitless amounts of it from their bodies, almost making the user immune to physical strikes by converting the point of impact into that element. It is one of the powers that are considered invincible." He said as he slowly closed his foremost finger back into his palm and put the light out before fully lowering it.

"Paramecia is the name of a Devil Fruit that grants a unique ability such as being immune to sword strikes. My brother is also a pirate that uses this type of power, making him a rubber man." Ace begun to lower his middle finger, leaving his index finger raised with a fiery glow.

"And finally, the Zoan type Devil Fruit. It gives the power to become a hybrid and a fully transformed animal. My friend Marco possesses a _very_ powerful type of Zoan fruit that allows him to turn into a phoenix with the power of flight."

As he fully clenched his fist together, he was left with an uncomfortable silence as the Destined found difficulty believing everything that Ace had said to them. Deciding it would be better to let them talk, he rose from his seated position against the wall and began walking back to the local tavern while the Destined tried to find out why they were in such a strange world. After hearing the creak of the door closing and his footsteps die away, they all turned to each other with intent faces, unanimously turning to Izzy, hoping he had the answer they so desired.

"I have no ideas, guys... either this is a different world or reality... or the_ past_."

"The past?" whispered Joe, still remaining a fitting example for the younger kids, although he did want to freak out after Ace's fiery demonstration.

"Well, he said this is the Golden Age of Pirates, right?" he received a curt nod from many of the Destined "well that era ended long ago in our world, not to mention these Fruits... a man of fire, prodigious!" Izzy framed his confused face upon a curled fist, all the while garnering Yolei's ire for his lack of usable information in such a tight situation.

"How about we sleep on it and ask him in the morning where we are?" interjected Matt, holding Sora in a tight hug while looking nervously at the insanity that was Yolei. At that, Ken calmed the fiery girl and promised to sleep next to her, much to her delight and everyone's silent relief.

"Okay, Mimi, stand watch with Izzy for about an hour and then switch, okay?" ordered Tai, already lying comfortably on the mattress, earning himself a scornful look from Mimi, to who he smiled mischievously.

_The Tavern_

"Welcome... oh, I thought you left this afternoon, young man." Stated the barman rather bluntly as he dried off a pint glass behind the bar.

"Why, miss me?" Ace seethed.

"No, but you might want to go soon. A Vice Admiral is resupplying here tonight."

"Oh? Thanks for that. But I can handle a Vice Admiral on my own."

The barman scoffed and laughed hysterically, admiring the gall of the young man before him. Last night he had a drinking contest with Ace, and as such considered him a friend. "But anyway... there's a rumour that some kids fell from the sky or something. That batty old fool Roshi, I swear he's going senile nowadays."

"Well he did piss me off a little... I had to save those kids myself, and I can't even swim!" Ace sat at the bar, grabbing a small glass of grog and downing it in one shot, enjoying the unique fiery tail of it as it passed slowly down his throat.

"Well, you shouldn't have eaten a Devil Fruit so easily, 'Fire Fist'." The old man went back into hysterics and laughed uncontrollable as Ace pouted at the fact that he vows never to hit a friend. "So, kids actually fell from the sky?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Ace's voice carried scorn within it, as he placed the glass menacingly back on the counter, staring at the barman.

"Why not use them in your search for_ that_ guy?"

"What should I do about those guys?" Ace's voice trailed of at the last part of his thanks, realizing that a Vice Admiral might arrive and arrest the kids as pirates for being sighted with the infamous 'Fire Fist Ace', second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Suddenly, before he could even turn to the door, he heard a very stern and provocative voice behind him "Fire Fist Ace, I presume?"

Ace turned nervously, veiling it thinly with a mockingly confident smirk as he saw a fairly tall man with a white jacket draped over his shoulders like a cape, wearing a pristine double breasted green suit with a blood red shirt and slightly darkened tie. He wore spotless black shoes and sported a very bushy cream coloured beard that extended to his sideburns and cream coloured hair kept in a ponytail.

"I am Vice Admiral Dalmatian, and you are hereby under arrest. The tip we got from that fisherman would appear to have been legitimate, don't you agree, Lieutenant Ryuusei?" He carried a certain grace with his voice, unfazed by Ace's reputation and sizable bounty. But Ace saw this as nothing but ignorance and overconfidence in his own abilities.

"Sir, shall we take him?" Ryuusei coldly stared at Ace's equally cold yet belittling glance.

"Let's go!" cried Ace, his knuckles converting to flame as he used his Devil Fruit power, preparing for the battle he wouldn't get to dodge. Dalmatian himself smirked defiantly as he took off his shoes, much to Ace's distain, as he believed this to be a challenge or an insult in battle. But much to his surprise, Dalmatian began to quiver as his body changed shape and his legs morphed into a hind shape. After a couple of seconds, he looked up with a scornful face as he had changed into a hybrid form of a Dalmatian and a human, Ryuusei steadying a gun he pointed toward the foe before him.

"Sorry about this, barkeep... Fire Fist!"

Please **review!**

What will become of Ace in his battle with Dalmatian; and will the DigiDestined be able to help or are they truly helpless in this world? Find out next time!

First One Piece x Digimon, and I truly found the idea of Digimon in the One Piece world exciting. And I know this isn't the best opening ever, but great stories can still be made, even on the weakest of foundations!


	2. Flames of Courage

Chapter 2 is now up! Also, as a quick warning, I'm going on holiday next week so a little waiting period will be experienced until next Saturday at the earliest.

**Flames of Courage**

_Abandoned Shack_

"Izzy, I've been thinking..." whimpered Mimi, still vehemently tired after the events of the day. She wasn't used to falling for long periods of times into a strange dimension.

"Yeah?" quizzed Izzy with a strained voice, still finding his mind stretched as he thought in depth about why the DigiDestined had been placed in such a predicament. Was a Digimon toying with them? Had they been trapped in Ace's world with no way back due to a digital code error? These thoughts seared across his mind as he was desperate to find any loophole or strategy that could return them to their own world.

"Well... about Palmon and the other Digimon we were supposed to see... do you think they'll feel hurt?" Mimi faced Izzy with innocent, wide eyes, making him blush a light pink colour as he found himself unable to resist the gravitational stare, rubbing his hands together to pull himself back into reality.

"No, no. They're sure to know that something happened! I'm sure they'll go see Gennai and-..." Izzy's eyes widened with delight, almost like a child at Christmas. "Gennai! The younger kids still have their D-Terminals, and they should be waterproof!"

Mimi giggled girlishly at Izzy's outburst, increasing the tension and awkwardness that surrounded the two of them, both feeling like the other returned their feelings, yet didn't want to say it first. Finally, Mimi raised her fist victoriously as she decided to stroke Izzy's ego and worm her way to a kiss.

"That's great, Izzy! You're a genius! I could just kiss you right now!" Upon stating this, Mimi and Izzy both looked away nervously with a crimson tint to their cheeks. Mimi saw Davis sleeping near her, and decided to take her anger out on the young leader by punching him ferociously on the head, hurting her slightly and waking Davis up with an unfriendly growl.

"W-what!" Davis shot up, looking from side to side to check for any danger, and upon deciding it was safe, sat back down and looked blankly at Mimi and Izzy before gaining a mischievous smirk that irked Mimi further, earning a good pound to the chest with her small, smoothened fist. However this simply made Davis chuckle more.

"Davis, hand me your D-Terminal." Ordered Izzy venomously, still crimson at Mimi's innocent natured approach about the Digimon. Davis handed the D-Terminal dutifully to Izzy, trading his smirk with the red haired boy's distrusting frown. After obtaining it, he activated it to find his assumption correct; they still worked after the fall into this world. After sending an SOS message to the especially reserved channel for Gennai, to which he trembled with joy at receiving a message back. And it was a long one.

"Davis, get everybody up now! This is a prodigious development!"

After shaking all the unconscious Destined up, they all grumbled and threatened the three that awoke them with malice and cold intent unless they had a very good reason. After explaining that the D-Terminals still worked in this world, he began to read out Gennai's message to the intently focused yet still dazed Destined.

_To Izzy Izumi._

_I understand your plight at this, however hear me out. You were sent there for a reason. Lord Azulongmon felt that such extreme measures must be undertaken in order to prepare yourselves for the ultimate foe that is lying in wait within the Digital World. Had you arrived as you planned, you would have been utterly decimated._

_Your Digimon were warned of this well in advance, and have set up a temporary camp at my old home in the lake. They eagerly await your return._

_I know you must be confused at this predicament and why a Sovereign felt it necessary to break up the tunnel and let you fall into that strange world. Unfortunately, a war looms on the digital horizon, one lead by a malicious Digimon intent on taking the fight to the human world. I'm afraid that deaths are unavoidable this time around, as the Primary Village has been destroyed and cannot be reconfigured until your victory. That world is on the verge of a terrifying war, and Lord Azulongmon felt it best you be sent there to experience war and harden your hearts at the sight of comrade deaths._

_Also, in case you were wondering, that world lies betwixt and between the human and digital dimensions, within the world of dreams you saw at MaloMyotismon's final stance, where Yukio Oikawa met his end. It is but a fragment of the dreams of all conscious beings; this forms the vast web known as the universe. You cannot force yourselves back into either realm without a great strength to do it from the other world. Lord Azulongmon will pull you back out of that world once he feels you have matured and have respected the workings and costs of war, but has bestowed a fraction of the Digicores power upon your Digivices, and as such your digimon should be able to Armour and naturally digivolve within that dimension. Make us proud._

_We will all need prayers to save ourselves from __**that**__ Digimon._

_Gennai._

The group fell silent, not uttering even a breath of resistance to their dictated fates. War was never anything more than a distant trifle to the Destined, however, now they would experience war first hand to train for another war that awaited them on their return trip home. They never wished to see a single friend die in any time or plane of existence, and always found strength to kill Digimon knowing full well they would be reconfigured and reborn.

But now, being told to train up in a vicious war to become cold blooded murderers who defy a Digimon simply called 'the ultimate enemy'? It was a preposterous thought that they never even dreamed of. MaloMyotismon's defeat should have eradicated the darkness, yet another deadly being awaits in the Digital World.

"Well, that settles it." Stated Tai, uncomfortable with Gennai's warning and Azulongmon's possibly deadly training regime.

"Settles what? We're stuck here, unless we learn how to kill people..." Kari sniffled, trying to comfort herself in TK's embrace, her boyfriend also concerned as he looked around the room, awkwardly meeting Davis's eye's and running away nervously.

_Is he still upset?_ He thought while holding Kari tightly _Seriously, Davis... now of all times you show you still care for her?_

"Well, I know it sounds difficult to take in, but if it's the only way to get you all home, I'll take it." Everyone glanced almost desperately at Tai, and without a word, voted him their leader within the world they were now bound until a terrible training regime took place.

"Well, what's our next move, Tai?" questioned Sora, holding tightly onto Matt's shirt in a small embrace, noticing how uncomfortable Tai looked at seeing such a sight and turning her head toward her boyfriend.

"Well, for now, I say we stick with fire boy until something comes up. We don't even know how this 'terrifying war' will start." Tai retorted while freely using his right hand for theatrics to garner attention to his flailing and very true and ominous proclamation. He truly wouldn't have imagined_ that_ to start the war.

"Are you sure-"Joe's input was cut off by a loud explosion coming from the direction of the village across the shoal's path, as they all barged through the door to spot a tower of flames rising from the harbour area of the small and now very lively village.

_Hitou Island: Harbour_

Ace smiled at his handiwork, staring remorseless at Lieutenant Ryuusei, as he breathed deeply at the small burn wounds he had suffered in the blow back at the bar. It had been a concentrated blast that didn't damage anything but the entrance, but had given him several small second degree burns across his arms and chest, struggling to keep his gun within his clenching grip.

"So, this is one of the famous Rokushiki techniques I've heard of. It's certainly fast..." Ace smiles deviously and spins around on the spot a few times while slowly igniting his extended arms and suddenly falling down onto one knee with his arms still raised in a bird like motion.

"Enkai, Hibashira!" Ace screamed before an inferno blazed around him in a circulating motion, forming a tower of fire whilst he thought of how to catch Dalmatian. However, a sudden and thunderous crash erupted from within the flames, breaking open at one point to reveal Dalmatian with his right arm raised and his index finger extended as he growled in his canine form with rage at the flames threatening to engulf him as Ace looked on in disbelief that he broke through the flame shield with his finger.

"Shigan!" roared Dalmatian as he made contact with Ace's shoulder and shot the young Logia user out of his defensive tower and causing the flames to distort without Ace's concentration and causing a large explosion, destroying the nearby dock and only just missing the Stryker that lay on the sandbank.

Ace heaved on the beach, seething in anger at the carelessness he displayed toward the Vice Admiral before, deciding to take him seriously as he rose to a single knee, only to feel a disturbance behind him. That disturbance was Ryuusei, who was in midair preparing to slash at Ace's tattoo. As he lowered his blade, Ace's body diffused and became flames, reforming before Ryuusei as he fell to the ground after missing his target. Looking up toward him defiantly, Ryuusei spat several curses toward his foe, receiving a violent and unstable Ace as his brows were lowered so far his veins became visible upon them.

"You... bastard! Spit on me, try and shoot me, I'll just laugh at your feeble attempts to piss me off. But no one gets to cut _his_ mark! It is the symbol of Pops's greatness!" Ace in one swift and fluid motion grabs and lifts him by the collar, tossing him to one side as he threw a smaller version of his 'Fire Fist' technique at him, shooting him as fast as a cannonball into the fisherman who had sold him out's shack and knocked him out, leaving the Vice Admiral he had underestimated before standing before him, uncaring of his Lieutenants defeat and burn injuries. Ace wanted to hurry and warn the kids before more Marines showed up and _really_ complicated matters.

"Soru!" roared Dalmatian, fading into an afterimage that all too quickly faded with the blazing breeze. Ace looked around ferociously, now knowing that Dalmatian could strike him through his Logia defences regardless of whether he was on guard.

_Where is he... _Pondered Ace as he twisted his body archly with his famous fist ready at the slightest twitch that could be sensed _Just calm down... remember what Marco said about the sensory type of Haki... focus..._

As he focused deeper and deeper, he began hearing small pangs and scratches on the sandy surface and eventually began to recognize them as foot steps, however still to fast to comprehend. It did, however, give him a general idea of the direction he should aim for.

"Shigan!" it was to fast. He couldn't sense Dalmatian's approach and suffered a blow to his chest, coughing blood in a heaving rage at being sent backwards by the Marine officer. He rose once more to see Dalmatian's arrogant smirk on his morphed canine features. He crossed his arms across his chest, losing himself in anger and embarrassment at his lack of control over his Haki.

"...Dai...Enkai-"

"What the hells going on here!" a close voice cried out, both combatants turning to face Tai and the DigiDestined staring in wonderment at the damage Ace and the strange half Dalmatian creature had caused, as the sand beneath Ace's charring feet began forming into an impure glass form under the overwhelming heat of Ace's Flare–Flare Fruit.

"Ace, what's going on, we can help you – you're bleeding!" cried Mimi in a warm almost motherly tone as Ace stared nervously at the kids before him, mouthing to them to run, however Mimi's caring outburst had undone the very reason Ace began the fight in the first place.

"You're allied to him?" Dalmatian shouted coldly, receiving questioning glances and terrified reactions for varying members of the Destined.

"What if we are... wait, he must be one of these Zoans..." Izzy blurted, receiving a full on vengeful stare from the Marine.

"I am Vice Admiral Dalmatian of the Navy; as allies of Portgas D. Ace and by extension Edward Newgate himself, you shall all perish here."

"Wait, aren't the Navy good guys! Why would you-"

"Silence, pirate scum. Your fates were decided the moment you went against Justice and defied the people by joining the crew of such a-"

"Say a word against Pops and I'll kill you, bastard!" Ace yelled while holding his chest to quell the shooting pain in his lungs from his foes last blow, still bleeding from his mouth badly and coughing violently after shouting at Dalmatian.

"A likely story. You can barely move right now, and you'll kill me?" his bloodthirsty glance redirected itself at the group before him, zeroing in on Davis's shaken stature and clenching his fist with a convoluting look dawning upon him. "Maybe the deaths of these pirates will teach you to not bolster such claims to me... Soru!"

As the imposing, looming shadow of the Vice Admiral blotched out the light irradiated by Ace's flame on Davis, his eyes widened as he saw his memories sear his mind in a quick flash, making him realise how his insignificant life was going to be taken by this beast..._ No! _He thought to himself, thinking about how his life mattered to him, and how he planned to use his life to try and win Kari's love and admiration. As his fist lowered closer to Davis's face, with enough force to smash it like a melon, Dalmatian was stopped and blinded by a strange blue light coming from his targets waist, and noticing a being beside Davis glowing much the same colour.

"DemiVeemon digivolve to...! Veemon." As the glow faded, Dalmatian removed his arm from his eyes to see a blue reptilian dinosaur creature with a horn at it's nose and a V shaped scar upon it's forehead stare at him as it crouched quickly into a jumping position.

"Tekkai!" cried Dalmatian, correctly predicting the attack to come.

"Vee-Headbutt!" he cried, jumping quickly toward the Marines exposed stomach, making contact and causing him to wince in pain and cough heavily as he jumped retreatedly toward his starting position, feeling a strong pain in his gut as he stared at the now delighted children.

"W-what the hell? He broke through my Tekkai?" As he looked at the creature before him, he realised that he had never seen or heard of such a creature before, especially ones that change shape and size.

"Veemon! Armour Digivolve!" screeched Davis, pointing his D-Terminal at Veemon, making him glow a strange orange hue as his height changed to that of a humans, beginning to take on some shape.

"Veemon, Armour Digivolve to...! Flamedramon; the fire of courage!"

"Fire Rocket!" cried Flamdramon as he raised his talon elongated fingers and fist in the air, punching forward with several fiery orbs flying out of his fist toward a very confused Dalmatian who dodged to the side as Ace also watched on in amazement of the small, cuddly creature he had taunted not one hour ago that transformed into a formidable blaze conducting warrior.

_I can't beat two fire throwing monsters at once, but I won't go back empty handed! _Thought the Vice Admiral; now bleeding from his mouth profusely, much akin to Ace. Reaching into the uncharred breast pocket of his green suit and pulling out a hand sized silver bodied snail covered with a blue shell and blank, soulless eyes. Activating his Soru technique once more, he bypassed Flamedramon and pointed to each of the Digidestined with the snail as it blinked at all of them with a small click.

"See you later, Whitebeard Pirates." Activating Soru once again, he grabbed Ryuusei from underneath the rubble and took off back to his naval ship with his Lieutenants limp body thrown over his shoulder.

"Ace... we need to talk. Come back to the shack. We want to know why we almost got killed for someone called 'Whitebeard'." Stated Tai rather flatly, showing little to no sympathy toward the profusely bleeding Ace and his injuries, as Joe grabbed his arm and aided him back to the shack.

_Naval Ship; The Tempest_

"...I repeat, Fire Fist Ace has dodged custody by fleeing. And some unexpected pirates that backed him up arrived and injured Lieutenant Ryuusei, and I order you to grant me retribution on these fools. Take the images I took with the Baby Camera Den Den Mushi and plaster their faces in every town in the world! Don't be fooled by their ages! They are allies of Whitebeard!"

Please **Reveiw!**

What will happen when these bounties arise; will the DigiDestined survive long enough to fight in the first of the two wars or perish under the watchful eye of Vice Admiral Dalmatian and other Navy officers? Find out next time!

If any of you want to find out about and learn the meanings of some new concepts in here, please search .com/wiki/Den_Den_Mushi

And

.com/wiki/Haki

Believe me, knowing the stuff is better than visualising and possibly misunderstanding it!


	3. Meanest Kids of the East!

Chapter 3 is now up, sorry for the delay while I was away. Anyway, several things come to light, such as where Leafmon has been (no, I didn't forget he existed, if anybody has wondered) and also the introduction to other commanders and the captain of the pirate crew that may be a cornerstone in the story, the Whitebeard Pirates. Enjoy!

**Meanest Kids of the East!**

_Navy Headquarters_

The Navy superpower's heart was a magnificently architecturally sculpted building with perfect symmetry designed as a core principle to show organization and reliability compared to rough and gruff pirates. The HQ was built in the shape of a sturdy castle foundation with a traditional Japanese style residence that towered over the city contained on the crescent shaped island which acted as the homes of many Marines and their families. Located aside the building, across the stone barricade looking outward through the great crescent rested the text of 'Justice' in large font.

"What are the newest pirate updates?" asked a tall, middle aged man sitting within the main office of the naval headquarters. He wore a life sized seagull cap, compressing his jet black afro beneath it and a prominent moustache extended over his lip with a long, twisted beard. His proud eyes magnified through his oval glasses, whilst he wore a pure, pristine double breasted suit with several medals of valour proudly showcased upon it, but still overshadowed by the large red sash across his chest that showed his superiority and a large white coat with the insignia for Justice displayed prominently on his back. He also had unblemished black shoes worn beneath pure white chino style pants. This was Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the highest power within the Navy and well regarded as a veteran by Marines and Pirates alike.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral, sir!" cried a currently inactive Rear Admiral Sheppard, kneeling before him with a grasp on a single note, naming new bounty heads and increased bounties of the previous week. Standing up in a quick manner, he unfolded the paper and began to read out the names.

"Bohemian Knight, Doma! Bounty increased to 347 million berries!"

"As can be expected of Whitebeard's allies..." he scolded as if it was common knowledge.

"Speaking of Whitebeard, sir, Vice Admiral Dalmatian has reported in and ordered the immediate bounty placement on some allies of Portgas D Ace, and he believes to be members of the crew. It's not amazingly high for a Whitebeard ally; however the Vice Admiral was adamant on these bounties. Right now we have used nicknames for reference, and the biggest bounty stands at 30 million berries, now as to the details of these bounty heads, they are..."

_New World: Aboard the Moby Dick_

The sea was rough and in a full storm induced tremble, with the wind and waves so violent, any sailor with common sense would flee at the first sight of such weather, as monsoons and maelstroms were a very real threat guised beneath the turbulent sea spray and torrential downpour. Yet a large and imposing ship in the likeness of a whale with tower sized masts thrashed violently from side to side, with waves crashing down onto crew members, roaring laughter heard at each of these instances as if to taunt nature. Two me were stood at the prow of the ship, not fearing the tides and violent shaking, as two large smiles chiselled their way onto their faces as they looked upon the sea that had been calm mere moments ago transforming into a death trap. One of the men looked at the other, feeling a tinge of jealousy that his friend had a top hat to keep his hair relatively dry compared to his light orange spikes, and that wasn't saying much.

"Oi, have you heard what Ace has done now, Vista?" he bantered, his purple jacket not serving him very well in such weather nor did his shorts adorned with a sash and a large bangle like belt. He was wearing sandals, hardly appropriate in such a situation and wore constantly squinting eyes framed on his middle aged face along with a rough, unkempt grizzled beard that wore short, revealing a devious smirk. However different he was from his crewmates, he had one defining trait about them. They all wore the Whitebeard tattoo proudly, his on his chest for all to see.

"How unrefined of him, his tenacity has landed others in peril." Said the large man, his broad, hairy chest showing through his open v-lined shirt as he had his arms crossed tightly, tensing his muscles in an almost intimidating manner. From underneath his hat coiled long, black locks that hid most of his head, revealing only his tanned face with a long, curled black moustache that framed his most defining feature: his imposing yet immortal smile. "What do you think those kids in the paper will do now, Marco?"

"They're being named as our crewmates, and Pops has been thinking about how best to handle and possibly dissuade the Navy. He told me he is thinking of defending them if they stick with Ace, sort of paying them back for our reckless idiot of a Commander. Unfortunately, there isn't many other ways to go, oi."

_Flashback_

_Moby Dick: Captains Quarters_

"_How wild the sea's are now. Such young scoundrels to have gained infamy like this in a day. That fire brat really knows how to make a situation worse... Gurarara!" yelled the silhouette of a gigantic man, barely visible in the cabins candle light as he took a rather generous swig from a full barrel. As he lay on his bed relaxing, the cabins door swung open and closed again in an instant, ushering the appearance of the drenched Marco, looking rather concerned at his captain._

"_Oi, Pops! You shouldn't be drinking this much!" cried Marco, looking dissolutioned at the tall man leaning across his bed before him, receiving a look of terrifying wrath and then feeling a strong burst of wind beside him, followed by a large crash. Looking behind, he saw wooden pieces from the barrel scattered widely as a small crack was left indented upon the floor._

"_Marco, you cheeky brat! You think booze alone can end me!" A large smile formed on his decadent old face, but it was barely visible due to his large crescent shaped beard, pure white apart from the centre area concealed by his hooked nose that was itself underscored by his life support equipment he had inserted in his nostrils and black bandana atop his head. His right arm lowered after throwing the barrel, resting at his side. He was humongous by regular human comparison, his foot alone almost matching Marco's waist height, giving a small indication of how large his proportionally muscular body must be, perhaps just a little over the height of a bus from the DigiDestined's world. He had various intercepting scars across his proud, noble chest, most on the left side of his chest giving it a very unique and distinctive look as he wore nothing atop it apart from his equally large captain's coat, the crews Jolly Roger brandished on its back. He wore a blue pirate sash over his cream coloured cargo pants, tucked within his black rubber sailor boots._

"_Pops..."_

"_Marco, what would you do about these little rapscallion friends Ace managed to make?" This large man chuckled in his own, personally strange way, but still maintained a look of determination as he awaited an answer._

"_Well, we do kind of owe them some sort of apology for getting them infamy at their age, oi." He shrugged, misleadingly still squinting deviously._

"_Gurarararara!" the elderly giant howled with an uncontrollable laughter. "That what I like about you, you have the same ideals as me. Every good sailor must have moral standards and the ability to make allies, even in the worst situation!" he howled once more._

"_But their situation is bad... if they go with Ace, they will eventually meet Teach." Marco flinched upon saying this, vigorously nervous as the elderly man rose slightly from his bed, his expression had deathly darkened and his golden eyes burning with bloodlust._

"_...Teach... that would be a problem if he meets Ace and the snot nosed little brats... I've always felt uneasy around him..."_

"_Oi ,Pops... what if Ace is captured by the Navy instead?"_

"_Then I shall save them as I would all of my children, if they truly do help a member of my family, they are __**also**__**my**__ family. As for the Navy, Sengoku won't do anything rash or rushed. Morality is the backbone of all great pirates, and mine is to defend my sons. Keep an eye on the situation for me, alright?"_

"_Of course, Pops. It has me worried to, oi." Marco smiled at the elderly man, slowly turning and walking out of the cabin door, being faced with a lightened but still very heavy storm, sighing heavily as he closed the door and walked to the crew that happily awaited instructions._

_New World: Winter Island_

"Boss, this is crazy, you know that..." whispered a spiky red haired man, wearing common pirate garb, with a long blade sheathed at his left side adorned sash.

"Listen, if Ace keeps up with the search, he'll end up getting wounded, even killed... and now there are kids entangled in his mess..." echoed a man, residing in the shade of a large cave with his crew sat around a small campfire. He was wearing a long, black cape that extended over his right arm but dropped at his left side. He wore a red sash that concealed his sabre's scabbard beside his opened button top and above his floral patterned shorts and sandals, his feet showing no damage from the cold environment. He bore three parallel scars across his left eye, concealed partially by his lengthy red hair.

"But boss, what if the crazy old bastard kills me?" bellowed the man, not bothering to restrain his voice in the cold terrain any longer, as he shouted with obvious fear.

"Listen, he's not that foolish, so show him some respect. If he kills you, he knows I will come to kill him, and in doing so threaten the lives of his 'children' and not to mention threaten his high moral standards among the pirate hierarchy." The captain was furious with his subordinate, berating the spiky haired with a deathly glare and his right hand looming ominously beside his sabre.

"Sorry, boss... the only problem is the Navy. Two Yonkou meeting each other for a discussion is unlikely and the Marines might take it as a declaration of a war!"

"Just listen, tell Whitebeard when you're aboard that 'Red Hair' wants to speak with him, and hand him this." The captain extended his right arm after retrieving a letter from his sash, handing it to the man that was holding it timidly, as its contents meant a great threat to the Navy and the World Government. "Go, Rockstar. Call us when he's read it." The red haired captain laughed, taking a large swig from his sake dish as Rockstar walked away nervously but eventually straightening up as he reached his designated dinghy, beginning to set sail dutifully to the place he had never wanted to go alone; the Moby Dick, as he knew who he assumed awaited him timidly and how legendary his short temper was, taking a large gulp before disappearing into the mist surrounding the winter island.

_Abandoned Shack: Daybreak_

Ace's wounds had finally stopped impairing his mobility, his shaking had stopped and he could finally begin to rest and breathe easily thanks to Joe's ability and knowledge of medicine. Of course, Tai was the only one unable to wait until daybreak to question Ace further and decide on the best course of action for the Destined. He had stood watch all night with Davis, as he was unable to bear sleeping beside an embracing TK and Kari without feeling a still fresh wound in his heart, growing more and more unbearable as Kari went further out of his grasp because of his former friend's betrayal. They both stared into the fire all night, thinking deeply on their individual problems that seemed repugnant to any quelling or calming thought. Davis every now and then stared at his crush, remembering clearly the day he knew Kari would forever be just beyond his grasp and deeper into TK's.

_Flashback: One Month Prior_

_The Odaiba Park_

"_Douche!" Spat TK, holding Davis's collar in his grasp, a mixture of both his blood and Davis's splattered across it. He delivered an almighty punch to Davis's chin, drawing more blood. ___

"_Bastard!" Growled Davis, holding TK's collar in his grasp, a mixture of both his blood and TK's splattered across it. He shot back with a wrathful blow to TK's cheek, drawing an equal amount of blood from him._

_It was 9pm that TK had called Davis for a chat in the park, and 20 minutes later, Davis arrived and rather than make pleasantries, gave TK a hard punch across his arrogantly smirking face as he felt proud of the incident earlier at the school, making Kari more likely to love him than Davis._

"_What is your major malfunction, I'm finally beginning to gather my courage to ask her and you punch me in the park?" TK viciously raved, garnering a similar reaction from his foe before him._

"_You're kidding, trying to make me look like a dick in front of everyone at school by faking an injury in a soccer match! You flopped like a bitch and made Kari think I did it on purpose, are you really that paranoid!" before Davis could even breathe, he felt a hard punch connect with his chin, making him growl as he bit his lip. Not deterred, he spat his bloody saliva at TK's face, and using the brief second of confusion, delivered an almighty blow to TK's solar plexus and forcing him down to his knees in pain._

"_Damn...you-" TK grunted painfully, coughing and looking up at the bloody enemy that had just defeated him and received a satisfactory payment for TK's actions at the soccer game earlier that day. Turning around, he spotted a slender person looking at him with disgusted and frightened chocolate eyes widened as she frowned distastefully at Davis._

"_Kari... why are you-"_

"_TK called me, Davis. He told me about your little bullying scheme and how you threatened him to stay away from me, or as you apparently put it, 'Your Babe". Are you really so petty?" she hissed, taking nervous steps toward him._

"_W-what are you-"unfortunately before he could finish, Davis felt a reverberating pain throughout his right cheek, intensified by the damage TK had already managed to do. Kari had slapped him ferociously with disgust evident on her face, and his eyes were knocked to the side along with his face, locking into place as they spotted TK's bloody smirk that combined flawlessly with his filthy, backstabbing eyes. He had told Davis they would settle it alone._

"_You make me sick, you stupid jerk!" screamed Kari at the top of her lungs. Her eyes were filled with hatred and sadness, leaving Davis with little hope for another chance now, instead he hoped and wished that at least saddened or pained tears would fall for him, showing a chance for forgiveness. They never did fall, much to his sudden hatred, as a great void was now carved within his heart, and it pained him to breathe in her presence. "Never come anywhere near TK or me ever again!" with that, a second, more bewildering slap echoed off of his tanned and bloody features. "__**I HATE YOU!" **__she screamed as the final blow._

_As he walked slowly away, he burned with an impure rage against TK's tactics to capture Kari's heart and distance her from Davis. But as he struggled to breathe, he heard her asking TK if he was alright, her consoling words to him mixed with certain remarks Davis never wished to hear from her as felt disgusted and hate filled eyes on his back. How opposite the two were, as Davis managed no hatred, just unseen tears running through his bloody, swollen cheeks._

And now TK was Kari's boyfriend, much to his hidden disgust. Everyone complimented Davis on letting her go, not knowing of the incident at the park that TK had orchestrated in a conspiracy against his DigiDestined leader. They have not spoken to one another in a long time, as Davis falls on deaf ears whenever Kari berates him in her own way whilst talking to their friends, the deceived girl having no ounce of compassion left toward her victimised friend, truly believing him to be the villain, not TK.

Davis looked over to the sleeping area, immediately spotting TK and Kari's embracing sleep, smiles chiselled on both their faces. He felt like puking, as the love of his life hated him and now slept with the disgusting liar and deceiver that was TK, loving each other deeply.

_If it makes her happy to hate me and love him, then I guess I should..._

"Davis, lets wake everyone and talk to Ace, okay?" requested Tai, his contented features a comfort to the secretly tortured boy beside him, as Kari's big brother seemed the only one to disagree with Kari's berating of Davis.

"...Yeah." he whimpered, sounding like a wounded animal, unable to request any help.

Walking silently over to the sleeping party, Davis shook them, one by one into consciousness and upon reaching TK; he gave him a quick kick to the side, waking both him and Kari with its force. As he coughed and glared up toward Davis, who was more intent and focused at Kari's filthy look, scoffing verbally and turning toward the bandaged Ace whilst giving the couple a menacing glare. Carefully shaking Ace, he too awoke to be flooded by a torrent of mixed attitudes. Mimi's look being the warmest, she spoke first.

"Are you feeling better, Ace?" she said, smiling warmly as she did.

"Y-yeah of course I am..." Ace couldn't handle the girl's concerned and warm smile, blushing slightly at the girl that was only 4 years younger than him and acting like his mother.

"Let's cut the pleasantry crap. Ace, let's pick up where we left off yesterday and do the question and answer game." Tai interjected, earning a look of concern from Matt and Sora, who knew full well why Tai was so on edge lately.

"Fine, you'll probably ask me why the Navy's full of Justice obsessed bastards, isn't that right?" Ace chuckled, much to his new friend Yolei's annoyance.

"Well, yeah, you stupid pain in the a-" Yolei bellowed, finding herself infuriated at Ken and Cody covering her mouth simultaneously to prevent any fight between the fire man and... well, Yolei.

"Yolei! Sorry about her, but can you answer my question, Ace?" Ken asked respectfully, receiving the first friendly smirk from Ace to any of the group. "Well...um... who's Whitebeard?"

Ace looked stunned at the black haired prodigy before him, realizing all the stuff the DigiDestined said the previous night about coming from another world was true. If they were from this world, how could they _not_ have heard of Whitebeard?

"Well, it's pretty long, but I'll try. Whitebeard is my captain, the Whitebeard Pirates are his crew, divided into smaller cells called 'divisions' lead by an exceptionally strong member of the crew to act as 'division commander'. The higher the division you belong to or lead, the more powerful you are, and the higher your bounty will be."

"Bounty?" Sora said softly, still hugging Matt whilst staring every so often to see how Tai was handling beside Ace.

"This is the Great Age of Pirates, the Golden Age or whatever you desire to call it. However one thing is for certain, pirate are running wild across the globe, vastly varying in term of power and threat. This has stretched the Navy thin, and they have resorted to the use of bounty hunters and tips off of turncoats to either capture or kill us. The pirates are all rowdy in search of a fabled treasure known as 'One Piece' that is the living legacy of Gold Roger, King of the Pirates up until his capture and execution 22 years ago."

The kids seemed to be chiming perfectly with Ace's story this time, rather than apprehensive and untrusting like yesterday when they were in disarray over Azulongmon's at the time unknown actions. But they all noticed Ace biting his lip and squinting angrily.

"Something wrong?" Cody asked.

"N-nothing, anyway, Roger walked proudly to his execution and announced this treasure before the world in his last moments, triggering this era today. Roger's capture seems to have surprised everybody back in the day, as he was regarded as one of the strongest men alive back then with Pops, he even destroyed an entire country's military force alone because some king insulted his crew while they were at port."

"He sounds amazing! Can any human actually do that?" Joe yelled excitedly.

"Joe, this isn't our world, normal restrictions don't necessarily apply to muscle strength or vitality. This world would be a prodigious study!" Izzy laughed, blushing and sinking after seeing he had gained an awkward stare from all of those present in the room apart from Mimi, who laughed hysterically.

"Well, back to business, who is this Whitebeard, you make him sound like an old man!" Matt bellowed with restraint.

"He is an old man, that's why I and my friends call him Pops. I carry his mark on my back, as do all crewmembers somewhere on their body. Although he's old, he's one of the four most powerful pirates in the world, known and feared among pirates and marines alike as 'Yonkou'."

"Yonkou? Who are they?" Gatomon asked, tired of pretending to be a normal cat in front of Ace.

"Yeah, we Digimon can ask questions as well, can't we?" scowled Patamon, floating in midair after a quick jump off of his masters shoulder.

"I... guess... I'm going to ask about you later as well, so get ready to answer some as well!" he chuckled slightly at the two Digimon, looking around at the other three Digimon; Poyomon, Upamon and the now digivolved Veemon.

"Now that I think of it... Ken, where's Wormmon?" quizzed Joe, kneeling toward Ken in curiosity.

"He's in my Digivice. I found a new function I wanted to tell you all in the Digital World, but, well... I never really got the chance... I'm sorry..." Ken looked rather ashamed, like he had disappointed his friends, holding his dark Digivice up as it began to glow purple. "Leafmon, realize!"

Suddenly, the purple light shot out, landing before them as it began to quickly take form and fade, revealing a green ball shaped Digimon with a single leaf covering its entire body like a large umbrella mouth and a common dummy in its mouth, moving as it spoke.

"Hi, Ken, is it lunch time already?" the creature said politely, looking humbly up at his master and his friends, wincing at the sight of a bandaged Ace.

"Two things, what is that creature and where's my hat?" Ace barked, scaring the unfortunate creature and driving him behind Ken in cowardice.

"Your hat's on the broken table next to you, you unfeeling ass." Yolei rasped, garnering Ace's glare and almost verging on challenging him to a fight if he had a problem, before Ken cut in.

"This is a Digivice. I was saying random computer phrases with Leafmon to pass the time a few days ago and suddenly Leafmon went in my Digivice when I said 'Leafmon, storage!' You guys can do it too with a newer Digivice." Ace was uncaring to the kids whispering and explaining, putting on his hat, dragging it over his eyes and leaning against the wall he sat on with his arms crossed in boredom.

"Way to make us older kids seem useless with our own Digivices, Ken..." Mimi whimpered, laughing at Ken's attempts to apologise to her in an act of desperation.

"That's a good point; you saw how useless we older kids were against that Vice Admiral, so how do we defend ourselves?" Matt asked with clear determination. It was a serious problem for the DigiDestined that needed attention.

"Dalmatian's probably reported you helping me, so the Marines and Navy will not protect you like a citizen now. If you come with me to the next island, there should be a sword smith or blacksmith or something there. The fisherman who sold me out in the first place will probably come after you because you're with me, so the towns a no-go, especially after me and Dalmatian tore most of it up. Not that I care, it _is_ your choice."

"A sword... sounds cliché, but we older kids don't have much of a choice..."Matt muttered.

"Except we don't know how to_ use_ a sword, Matt." Sora giggled, making her boyfriend blush and turn away to preserve his bad boy act, concealing his blushing face with his lengthy blond fringe.

"Small details; I know some basics, a friend of mine called Vista taught me a while ago. On the way, I'll teach you enough to stay ahead of common Marines and Pirates. But again, it's _**your**_ choice." Ace restated.

"But, weren't you going to ask us questions?" Mimi asked softly.

"No, if you come with me you're all stuck on a boat with no escape, so I'll ask then... assuming you don't intend to stay here and get attacked again."

"Flamedramon managed to drive that so called Vice Admiral away on his own, so what's the danger, especially since the other Digimon can digivolve because of Azulongmon?" Davis announced, receiving filthy glares from TK and Kari that went unnoticed by the other members of the group.

"Davis, that was probably because Ace had already weakened him. Are you _really_ that stupid?" Kari growled, receiving a rage filled look from Davis.

"Are you _really_ that easy to be deceived by appearances?" Davis rasped; surprised at how subtle he was with his insult to the girl he loved.

"Apparently; since you looked like Tai, I thought you made a great leader, but boy, was I wrong. You're worthless, and I know that now." She hissed, falling back into TK's arrogant hug as he shot a cocky smirk for a brief second.

"Hey, back off, Kari!" Cody hissed, silently drawing back into his knees as he whimpered under Kari's gaze.

"Cody, are you defending hi-"

"Enough!" ordered Tai, disliking the tension within the group. He wanted them to stick together throughout Azulongmon's training, and didn't want Kari and Davis to separate the group and possibly get someone killed in the upcoming battle they were warned of, but had resolved unanimously not to inform anyone from the world they were confined in, as it may dissuade the event and render they're training useless.

"Trust me kid, there are other Vice Admirals that are far stronger than the pup from yesterday. And if by some remote chance an Admiral is off duty and decides to take care of you, then you can kiss your ass goodbye. You're little monsters can't stand up to them as they are right now, and if they are your one source of protection, then I fear for your safety." Ace was deadly serious, his brows lowered so violently that his veins could be seen.

"Admirals and the Fleet Admiral, ranking works the same here, but in a power based system." Izzy intervened, backing down immediately as Ace stared at him furiously, he did not want them to be massacred after helping him.

"Yeah, but Sengoku never leaves Headquarters, so you're at least safe from him. However if you ever hear anything, even_ rumours_ about three Marines named Aokiji, Kizaru or Akainu; you have to hide, no questions. Still, if you come with me you'll be on the move and therefore harder to track and follow. I know you want to get back to your world, but for now, let's make an accord; I help you, you help me. Simple."

"Help with what?" TK quizzed.

"Help me find Marshall D. Teach, better known as 'Blackbeard'." Ace replied furiously, yet not at TK, but at his prey's name. Davis however _was_ staring ominously at his former friend.

"What's your obsession with this Teach, anyway?" Izzy pondered aloud.

"That's our business, I won't let you guy's get involved. It's for your own safety." Ace responded tensely, turning his timid gaze to Tai, the elected leader, as he rose before him.

"Will these guys be safe? Guarantee it." Tai ordered, staring fearlessly into Ace's eyes.

"I promise." They slapped their hands together into a tight, distrusting handshake. "Now, we need to get a decent sized raft or other boat."

"Got any ideas?" Kari hissed under her breath, disgusted personally at the agreement to join a real fire breathing monster that possibly will lead her and her friends... and Davis to their deaths.

Ace remained silent for a long moment in deep thought, suddenly gaining a long smile across his devious face. "I think it's time for the backstabbing fisherman to pay me back."

_Navy Headquarters: Sengoku's Office_

"Fire Fist is constantly on the move in the first half of the Grand Line... what Whitebeard suddenly told him to do, I wonder?" whispered Sengoku to himself, lost in his thought and not noticing the tall Vice Admiral sitting before him.

"My grandson, what a little rascal! Gahahaha!" howled the elderly Navy man wildly, surprising Sengoku as he looked up angered at his colleague. He was a relatively tall man, with a short, well kept hair cut and a silver goatee that met up with his large moustache and almost concealing his smiling mouth. Down the furthermost corner of his left eye, a scar rested down his forehead, disappearing and reappearing with his wrinkled face, showing it was from his youth. He wore a rudimentary white suit with a blue shirt and tie beneath it, also wearing a 'Justice' coat over his broad shoulders like a cape.

"Garp, you old fool, he's our _**enemy**_!" Sengoku growled furiously.

"Yes, yes, I know. And I'll be the first one to take him-" Garp jerked, his head falling back and resting on his shoulders. As Sengoku rose to investigate, he heard mumbling coming from the veteran Marine.

"Wake up!" Sengoku barked, delivering a swift punch that jarred Garp head back into place with his grumbling and attempts to wake up, but to no avail, as he fell back once more. "Bastard... wake up!" a thunderous crash resounded throughout his office as the Fleet Admiral connected with a downward strike with so much force, he cracked his floor with the Vice Admiral's ricocheting head.

"Mmm? Oh, yeah. Sengoku, what's gonna happen to these kids I've heard about from Dalmatian if they're caught?" Garp barely managed to grumble before drowning it out with a loud yawn.

"I have an uneasy feeling... they might be on some sort of mission with Fire Fist, so if we manage catch any of them, I want them brought before me. That cunning old bastard's probably got something in mind that concerns us and the general public, so we need to be swift. Rear Admiral Sheppard!"

"Yes, sir!" echoed the voice of a distraught man standing aside in the offices far corner, he watched nervously at Sengoku's display of power, easily smashing a floor with Garp's head.

"Relay this order to all Marine branches, and alert the Admirals in case they are ever off duty in the HQ building. Fire Fist Ace and his friends _must_ be captured alive and brought before me. I have no earthly idea the mission he was given, but if it concerns the wellbeing of the citizens, I wish to interrogate them personally."

_Grand Line: Marine Branch G-8 – Ported Ship_

"W-what's this?" cried a common Marine soldier nervously, clutching a telegram that had been relayed by his ship's Den Den Mushi, running swiftly toward the main cabin of the ship. "C-Commodore Smoker! An urgent message from HQ!"

"Have they spotted Straw Hat?" a terrifying, low voice questioned, his subordinate wincing as he coughed uncontrollably at the smoke that had overcome the room.

"N-no, sir! It's about Portgas D. Ace and some Whitebeard Pirates that are wanted personally by the Fleet Admiral!"

"... the Fleet Admiral, eh?" He diverted his gaze toward his wincing subordinate. "Hey, don't worry your moronic looking face off, he'll get them, I'll see to it personally." As he finished this, he placed on a specially tailored smoking jacket with several rolled up cigars on it's breast, and in large on the back, the insignia for 'Justice' displayed below his fur covered collar line as he looked at his subordinate. "Get me all the information on his latest whereabouts and the direction of his landfall! Once we have that, set sail to his next destination and stay out of my way. You can capture the kids, as they're the best you can manage, being the worthless weaklings you are, but Ace made it personal back in Alabasta, he's mine!" he barked, pushing his subordinate out of his path with a shrug of his shoulder.

Please **Review!**

What from will happen when the DigiDestined become world famous over night, how will the older kids combat enemies without their Digimon, can TK and Davis coincide or will they destroy the group from within, and what is Whitebeard's_ true _stance on these 'brats'? Find out next time on Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

Chapter end! Probably the longest one I've done, not to mention my personal favourite. The bounties shall become known to the Destined and too us soon, but just who do the Marines consider the most dangerous? And what will happen when or even if they meet the lowest ranked Logia of Justice, Commodore Smoker?

As you could have guessed, the first war will be the Whitebeard War, but I'll be changing some points and adding the DigiDestined children's involvement in the battle. Or will they have a role, should they stick with Ace on his search for Blackbeard? All shall be revealed, as we delve deeper into this destiny intertwining tale. And more is yet to come, but out of all this, what are the Destined's individual stances on their situation and new friends and even each other? Look out for POV's!

As they can Digivolve, Armour and DNA included, do the DigiDestined _truly _stand a chance in this world of the supernaturally powerful?

Lastly, this is the end of the **Grand Line Times arc**, as we sail nicely into the **Great Blackbeard Search arc!**


	4. Hoist the Colours High!

Chapter 4 is now up, and the grand voyage has finally begun as the DigiDestined may have to officially become misfits in the world of pirates under the banner of the New Spade Pirates with Ace as their Captain, but if they travel as pirates, who will be Vice Captain of the crew?

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**Raise the Colours High**

_Hitou Island: The Shoal_

The day had bled away rather quickly, as Ace's plan required the guise of night. He and the other children had decided that the moment had finally come to put the plan in action, but as they crossed the shoal to get to the harbour area, several of the Destined whined silently about how only a heartless pirate like Ace could do something like this without a second thought. Ken was the only one to work up the courage to say it aloud.

"I'm positive this is thievery." Ken nervously stated. He and the other Destined were following Ace as he approached the harbour area of the conjoined island, crossing diligently across the sandy shoal that connected the abandoned shack the rest of the island under the cover of the thick darkness, their only light source being a small ember flickering from Ace's raised index finger.

"He tried to rob me _and_ you of our freedom when he tipped off the Marines for a quick money boost. I think he owes us a small ship." Ace retorted coldly, not even bothering to look over his shoulder at the now silent Ken, thinking deeply about something.

"Hey, jackass, back off of Ken or I'll end you!" Yolei barked, clearly agitated as she swung her fists to no avail in the thick darkness as Ace increased the intensity of the ember to frighten and silence Yolei, as she was ruining any stealth they had. He had already decided that out of all of them, _she _was the one he didn't like.

"Alright, just calm down Yolei, this is for all our sakes, so stay quiet." Tai ordered angrily, receiving a menacing glance from the bespectacled girl in the depth of the darkness. She did however grumble in defeat and comply, allowing the kids and Ace to cross the shoal successfully with nothing that may wake the fisherman sleeping within his shack.

"Alright, I'll go and grab the Stryker, so get the fishing boat untied from the dock, and throw me the rope in a minute. And for all that is holy, be quiet." Ace stated before holding out a small lantern he had retrieved from the shack, lighting it with his ember imbued finger and handing it to Izzy. Silently, after he forced the fingers crackling ember to fade, he was engulfed in the darkness; leaving nothing but a fading trail of footsteps leading him across the bank to the Stryker's last known position. Heading his order, Izzy proceeded to relay his instructions to Tai and Matt about how to seize the ship. After a light conversation, Tai and Matt began to slowly and warily cross over the sandbank to the fisherman's vessel with Izzy following suit with the lantern in hand; irradiating the sand beneath them with a weak, golden glow.

Finally reaching the ship after a tense moment, Tai and Izzy knelt before the knot that bound the ship to the wooden port area, analyzing every conceivable way that the knot before them could be undone whilst Matt jumped gracefully into the small fishing ship with little more than a 'thud' to concern his friends below.

"W-wait..." Tai pondered aloud, releasing his grip of the knot before turning timidly to Izzy's illuminated face.

"What is it?" Izzy whispered, desiring not to be caught by the sleeping fisherman.

"Joe's a survival nut, isn't he?" Tai's posture slackened as he sighed heavily "You think he has a pocket knife?"

Turning back and slowly approaching him, Tai came face to face with Joe, asking him if he did indeed possess a pocket knife of some sort. As it turned out, he did, but had thought he lost it in the sea when they first arrived. Handing it carefully to Tai with a quick lecture about safety, Tai scoffed and began the slow task of travelling back to the ship knot, reaching it and beginning to cut through the bulky rope.

Matt on the other hand was checking the small cabin for any supplies that the group could use on their journey with Ace to the next port, finding about three days worth of supplies that he knew how to cook and make the most of.

Finally cutting through the rope whilst breathing vehemently with his arm becoming a limp noodle, barely able to hold onto Joe's pocket knife, Tai and Izzy boarded carefully so as to not set out to sea by accident. Izzy lifted the lamp above his head and hid the flames glow with his free hand to make the flame look like it was flashing, that being the signal for everyone to scramble aboard as quietly as possible, whilst Ace had brought the Stryker around without so much as a wave to alert the fisherman to their presence. After attaching the Stryker along the side of the fishing vessel, he scrambled around the ship, releasing the sails and raising the anchor with minimum effort, and using his Flare Flare Fruit to create a small burst of fire that did not reach the sails, but pushed the ship forward with the hydrogen trace from the burst, finally setting out to sea with the DigiDestined and their Digimon, whilst he kept himself busy with the requirements at the port and starboard sides of the deck.

* * *

><p><em><span>Fisherman's Ship<span>_

"I just remembered why I hate boats..." Joe muttered with his hand ready over his mouth.

"Joe, you'll get used to it, like you did when we went to the Continent of Server all those years ago!" Sora joked, as she knew how much that journey got on Joe's nerves.

"You feelin' sick too, Davish?" Veemon questioned worriedly as his master sat on the deck in deep thought about something.

"No it's just... now we're out to sea, where are we going?" He questioned cautiously, so not to grab Kari's hostile attention. However all the Destined looked at him with mixed reactions, most of confusion and acknowledgement, all turning to Ace as he finally sat down dubiously at the prow of the ship, facing the kids before him on the deck.

"We're going to make landfall at the next island that the Log Pose has managed to capture the magnetic coordinates for. That's another reason I was at that island back there for two days in the abandoned shack, my other reason being for clues to Teach." Ace exclaimed to the undeterred kids that sat before him, sitting up and glancing at the Log Pose on his left wrist, walking over to the helm and steering in accordance with his wrist mounted compass.

"Okay, but _where_ are we going?" Mimi restated rather agitated, almost pouting at the young pirate before her with Izzy blushing slightly at her cuteness.

"According to the chart I checked during the day, a secluded area known as the Horai Peninsula, a small, connected island that links directly to the desert kingdom of Alabasta. Want to know a fun fact? That location is the fabled home of many giants that have eloped from their home of Elbaph. I didn't think my Log Pose would reset in the wrong direction, but I'll take the opportunity to get away from that place." He said dutifully, his face illuminated by on of the many lanterns that Cody was lighting around the ship's deck to repel the slightly lifted shroud of darkness.

"Giants? You call _**Giants **_keeping us safe!" Yolei screeched, unnerved at the mere mention of what in her world were left in the fields of fantasy as mythical creatures.

"Giants are warrior's, but only get violent if you are a threat to their kind. If you're a traveller, you cannot find kinder people anywhere. Besides, glasses girl, don't you need swords or a pistol to defend yourselves?" Ace furiously retorted, receiving an angered look from the unflinching Poyomon.

"Back off, meanie! When I Digivolve, I'm teaching you some manners!" Poyomon squeaked, unable to yell any louder due to his small form.

"And about you little guys, how exactly do you change shape and gain powers similar to the Devil Fruits?" he queried in deep thought, waiting for one of the nervous kids to gather their courage and talk to him about it; naturally, as the former master of the Crest of Courage, Tai was the on to finally give a curt nod as he begun a long winded explanation of the Digidestined and Digimon's shared energies and the secrets of Digivolution.

* * *

><p><em><span>Navy Headquarters: Meeting Chambers<span>_

"...so, are we in agreement on these new bounties, Vice Admiral Garp?" a lowly officer mused, bowing down on one knee with his right hand place atop bounty posters before him, facing the elderly Vice Admiral who considered the circumstances and legitimacy of children being stuck with bounties of this size overnight, shaking in acknowledgement to the officer as he rose swiftly and ran to an office directly parallel to the meeting chambers and placing the bounties in a faxing Den Den Mushi as he breathed dispersedly.

"Poor kids... they'll be slaughtered out there..." he sighed, trying to lift his spirits with a Marine tune set in a whistle.

* * *

><p><em><span>The Fisherman's Ship<span>_

"I see... why don't you get the others to evolve then? It'd make things easier if there was a surprise attack." Ace ordered, veiling it_ very_ thinly underneath some compassion he had gained for the Destined and their Digimon's relationships with each other in battle and in general comradeship... it comforted him with similarities to the Whitebeard pirates' allegiance to each other and their 'father', Whitebeard.

Matt smiled for the first time since his arrival in the world of dreams. "Are you finally starting to like us?" he scoffed in a joking manner.

"Yeah, this is what it means to be a pirate, you guys! Trust and friendship!" Ace announced with an infectious smirk on his face, everyone but Kari, TK, Yolei and Ken smiling at the truth and wisdom behind his words. At this united smile, the feelings stirred up by Ace caused the Digivices to glow their respective colours, surging their partners with energy as they glowed and shapeshifted.

"Upamon, digivolve to... Armadillomon!" As the flash faded from his being, the small yellow sphere shaped Digimon had evolved into a hefty Armadillo that still possessed the yellow coulour, only darkened on his stiff shell.

"Poyomon, digivolve to... Hawkmon!" As the flash fade from his form, the small, pink feathered Digimon had evolved into a stern and serious looking Hawk with a small forehead protector that protruded a hawk feather at on side.

"Leafmon, digivolve to... Minomon!" As the flash faded from his former stature, the small, sphere shaped Digimon had lost both his large leaf and shaved some size, as he had become a smaller version of himself with the dummy replaced by a lateral mouth and jaw with spikes protruding from his mouth like teeth. At his body he had gained a protective cocoon that had the shape and colour of an acorn.

"Aweshome!" Veemon exclaimed, excited to see his friends join him at the Rookie level of evolution, beginning a small game of tag with the two larger Digimon whilst Minomon jumped into Ken's welcoming arms, feeling a little dejected for only being at the In-Training level.

"Like kids." Sora pouted, giggling along with Mimi as Armadillomon fell onto his back, finding great difficulty in standing back up. Izzy was close by to Mimi, still thinking back to her exclamation to 'kiss' him back at the shack on the first night.

"Ace, what're you doing? You have to rest with your wounds." Joe lectured, gathering everyone's attention to the now hat wearing Ace as he painted on a black cloth, barely lit by the lamps Cody had just been lighting.

"For now, the black sail will serve as a warning to some low Marines and other Pirates to stay away. Congratulations, all of you." Ace stated without having to look back at the Destined's concerned looks.

"About what?" TK queried, unbeknownst to the wince and ensuing deathly stare Davis was now shooting at him maliciously.

"You're now members of the pirate crew, the New Spade Pirates as a temporary measure to ensure your safety." He returned without so much as a twitch as Tai grabbed his shoulder tightly.

"Oh, no. We're joining no pirate crew, right guys?" Tai venomously belittled, turning to the other Destined, receiving jeers about the legitimacy of Tai's statement. But as Tai tightened his grip on Ace's shoulder to assure his supremacy, he felt a rapidly rising sensation of heat on his palm, immediately pulling away out of fear that Ace intended to burn his hand. But rather than attack the bewildered group, he sat peacefully sit before reaching into a blue pouch connected to his shorts and pulling out several slips of paper.

"Believe me, with these, you will need some guise to protect yourselves." Ace stated flatly, unconcerned as the Destined stared on bewildered as Tai flipped quickly through the papers and sweating nervously. Finally grabbing the lantern Izzy had used ashore and relighting it quickly with Cody's small splint, he placed the papers across the deck and place the lantern above them, fully illuminating the photographs and text on the papers.

"They were delivered while you were asleep over the day by a News Coo. Bounties at your age, just for being their and showing concern yesterday! Vice Admirals are assholes, don't you agree? Let me revise your now infamous faces and the nicknames that you will be called by from now on by the Marines. Some of them are totally out of the bag to make you sound more evil to the public.

Tai, you are now known as the 'Outlaw Star' with an astounding starting bounty of 30 million berries!

Matt, or should I call you 'Tidal Punk' now that you've received a bounty of 22 million berries!

Davis has the joint position with Tai for biggest bounty with 30 million berries under the banner 'Slaughter Knight' for you little pets fiery performance that ended up showing how powerful of a threat his tamer is.

Izzy, you are now known as 'The Enlightened One' with an impressive bounty of 22 million berries!

Joe, you are now world famous as the 'Archimedes' with a bounty of 20 million berries. If you want to know why that's your nickname, it's probably because the Navy noticed you were the oldest and decided you must be the one to be rid of first. They see you as the calm, not malicious leader I guess.

Ken is known as the 'Emperor of Darkness' with a bounty of 14 million berries.

Cody, you are the youngest, so I guess they were kind with the deceiving nickname. You're world renowned name is now 'Etiquette', probably because of your kind nature. Sorry, kid.

TK is now worth 15 million berries for his reputation as 'Prideful Knight'. I know your rivals and all, but your bounty shouldn't be exactly half the amount of Davis's.

Now for the girls, first up with the highest out of you four is Mimi for speaking aloud about your concern for me in front of Dalmatian. You are now famous as 'Pirate Princess' to all the Marines and civilians.

Sora is next, known as... 'Sweet Sugar' for your sweet nature and your kindness to everyone, especially our own little 'Tidal Punk' over here! Your bounty is just over half of his, though, standing now at 13 million berries.

Glasses girl or Yolei is now known as 'Vicious Temptress' for her violent and unpredictable nature, even having the guts to challenge me and everyone to a fight. For this concerning trait, you are now worth an additional 13 million berries.

And finally with the lowest bounty with her gentle appearance and frail nature, it's 'Frail Maiden' Kari with a relatively low bounty of 12 and a half million berries." Ace took a deep breath, struggling to carry on speaking any more about the bounties, but as the kids looked riled like vipers, he sighed heavily and muttered "Speak then."

"Bounties! Us!" Kari screeched, untrusting of Ace more than ever as he said himself about how this had happened because of their contact with him.

"Yes... and according to the fine print, you're all classed as members of the Whitebeard Pirates... want a drink, shipmates?" Ace mocked, breaking with laughter at the short sightedness of the Destined, completely unaware that worrying about Ace before a Vice Admiral may have had a side affect like this.

"Don't joke around! Now the Navy _and_ Bounty Hunters will try to kill us!" Yolei whimpered, scared by the revelation of being wanted by bloodthirsty men as she turned away with tears at her eyes, meeting Ken's unreadable smile and forcing herself into his chest, burrowing into a deep embrace as she cried in terror. "I...I don't w-want to die, Ken..." she managed to whimper in a low, trembling voice.

"This is all your fault!" TK rasped, wheezing heavily as several thoughts burned through his mind of Kari being captured and then slaughtered for her connection to Ace.

"I'm sorry to say this, but I agree with TK... what'll we do against the Navy and Bounty Hunters?" Ken respectfully stated, trying as hard as he could to not become angered for he understood that it wasn't entirely his fault as_ they_ had interjected in the fight at the beach. He tightly held Yolei in a hug, whispering sweet and reassuring words to her. Although she put up a tough front, Yolei was a soft young girl at heart, and detested any mention of death or taking life, as proven through her experience against LadyDevimon.

"Listen to what Ace is suggesting for now, guys. He does seem to know his stuff, not to mention he's powerful enough to defend each and everyone of us. Not only that, we have Digimon capable of digivolution with us!" Joe reassured, gaining a positive result as everyone's distress had lightened slightly but still remained, also causing the rift between TK and Davis to widen not only on a global scale, but on the fishing vessel as well.

"Why's this moron got the biggest bounty with Tai?" TK spat, pointing disrespectfully at Davis, who sneered back at him. "He isn't dangerous or worthy of being considered a leader."

"And a snake like you is, TJ?" Davis retorted with venom and distrust evident in his voice.

"Apparently, as he can remember peoples name and not bully others like you did back then." Kari interjected, obviously siding with her truly loving boyfriend TK, who unbeknownst to her had lied and cheated his way to getting the love of his life to recognize him above his competition.

"Stop it." Ace ordered, separating the quarrel with a flared up fist as a warning. "Now, you will stay protected whilst under this pirate flag until you can return home. I'll act as captain, and Joe, I want you to act as Vice Captain."

"M-me? Why, isn't Tai better qualified? Or Matt?" Joe nervously challenged the new captain's first declaration, curling his fists to try and reassure himself.

"No, they are too hot headed and unthinking about consequences. You, on the other hand, have displayed not only impressive medical skills, but a place of respect among the others. I mean, do you think they calmed down because you asked_ nicely_?" Ace was adamant about Joe's appointment, pointing out all of the great positives he held but had always ignored because of his bashfulness.

"Joe, he's right. If we're going to be doing this for a little bit, no one else is more qualified to be a second in command than you. You hold a respect me and Matt could never have, not to mention how responsible and cautious you are." Tai praised Joe without any ulterior motive, something which Joe has never experienced from anyone. He began to feel tears at the back of his eyes when everyone agreed with a smile and nod, he had always felt in the way, and now was being given free reigns as a _leader_. No word could possibly hope to describe his joy at that moment... unconcealed praise for him for the first time.

"Do it, Joe. You'll make us all proud." Matt chimed, smiling warmly at the elder boy.

"W-well, if you're all s-sure..." Joe could barely piece together a sentence. The feeling was that of pure happiness that forbade any words that might ruin the moment in any small way.

"Sure we are... Vice Captain."Sora and Mimi said in unison, forcing Joe to blush and look away bashfully as their respective crushes looked on disapprovingly at Joe, eventually laughing it off and rejoining the celebration. "By the way, Ace. How do these bounty posters have our names on them?" Sora mused.

"The Navy usually have specialist soldiers that gather reconnaissance with the utmost care and secrecy. I don't blame you if you didn't notice, but a soldier probably hid somewhere near the shack and overheard us talking. Once he got all of your names and placed them to faces, he went back to Dalmatian's ship. That means that you'll have to be my allies for a little while. I'm sure we will make way to the Peninsula, not to mention escape from that guy's ship. I'm gonna use my Flare Flare Fruit powers to give us a little ignition and speed. I'll wake you in the morning, it'll take that long to get their even with the boost. Go and sleep, that is my first captain's order." Ace ordered in a calm, respectful fashion as he dictated his new 'crew' on the first order of business.

"I don't know if you'll care, but I know how to cook basic things, so I'll be the ships cook for now. I've already seen the supplies and I can use them." Matt stated warmly, enjoying the closeness that the new crew were already experiencing.

"Yeah, that'll be_ extremely_ important whilst we're out at sea." Ace answered with his usual smile chiselled back onto his face. "Glasses girl, are you going to be alright?"

Yolei raised her head from Ken's chest; blushing a light but noticeable pink colour as tears were still streaming down her face. Remembering the act she usually adopted in public, she wiped the tears away with her sleeve quickly, looking back up with a faint yet warmer smile to Ace and her new Vice Captain. "Yeah, but it'll be okay, I've got Ken to protect me." She giggled as Ken looked away bashfully with a crimson face.

"Okay then, go in the cabin and get some rest, we'll make landfall at the home of giants, the Horai Peninsula tomorrow morning.

_Holy Land of Mariejois: Meeting Chambers_

The holy land of Mariejois was an ancient kingdom built atop a large fissure that separated the four great seas and the Grand Line into two halves. At it's heart, a large and imposingly pure looking castle homed several vile men and women known as Celestial Dragons and their mistreated, downtrodden slaves that suffered unimaginable pain, anguish and humiliation on a daily basis, just to please their dissolutioned and twisted 'masters'.

As the World Government was founded by the twenty ancestors of the bloodline inheritors, the Marines have to disregard their sense of 'Absolute Justice' when it came to a Celestial Dragon, simply writing of the slaves as refugees who have been redirected to physical labour 'jobs'. Every Marine worth his salt felt sickened by the taboos surrounding these spoiled people and their habits, Justice is their livelihoods, and they have no choice but to fabricate it to suit an ancient debt to their ancestors.

Within the large, ominous castle was a section directly for Marine use, filled with many chambers, meeting rooms and communication towers in a single section of the castle. Within one of those meeting rooms, an elderly woman wearing a Justice coat as a cape with a rudimentary suit beneath it stared at a rather strange man who preferred to crouch atop the table in his large, bulky pink feathered coat, beneath it wearing an open V-line shirt with a well built chest showing while he wore orange pants with tribal designs emblazoned on them and pointed, black shoes. Sitting next to him was an inhuman creature, with light blue skin and gills showing along his short, thick neck. He wore a large kimono with a hood for his attire with several black insignias intercepting atop a blood red colour. His fingers and toes were webbed like a fish, wearing high sandals to add to his gargantuan height.

"Got it, Doflamingo?" The elderly and frail looking woman spoke harshly, as if looking down at the crouched man.

"Sure, sure I have, Great Advisor Tsuru." Doflamingo scoffed with an unbelievably large smile carved across his face. Although his eyes were covered by pink glasses, his brows were lowered so far his veins poignantly showed, stretching into the cover of his blonde hair. "You believe the time has come, but you need one of the crew for him to show himself. Using morals as a weapon against people, now even I have to say that's cruel. Mufufufu." Doflamingo's strange laugh was maddening, giving a mere inkling of how deranged he must be.

"Jimbei, I think you know the report of Fire Fist being close by. Wouldn't you agree that we should capture him? Fleet Admiral Sengoku wants to interrogate him anyway, so it'll work in two separate paths to Justice, should a ploy truly be underway." Tsuru's squinting eyes were focused on the blue skinned man, who had the appearance of a bull shark mixed with human features. Such was a common place in this world, as not only are there different races such as Giants, but Fishmen and Mermaids as well. Jimbei's presence in the holy land was considered a travesty as the Celestial Dragons simply considered Fishmen a type of fish; hardly worthy of being equals with humans or them.

"Ms. Tsuru, you know I shall not partake in any action against the Whitebeards, my home owes them too much for that flag bannered outside of it as a direct warning to slave traders. I'm sorry, but that shall strain human and fishmen relations even more." Jimbei spoke in a proud, undeterred voice. Even though he had a volatile and vital position as one of the Shichibukai, a Government approved pirate, he held high standards toward his relations; his great debt to Whitebeard was so great, even the threat of losing the only link between humans and fishmen in legal terms did not make him betray them.

"Jimbei, I can understand and respect that sentiment, however, if you decline, I will just send Doflamingo here on a special mission to obtain Ace and his little crew of miscreants for the Fleet Admiral, whether some be dead or alive doesn't matter, Justice must remain untouched." Tsuru was agitated but respectful toward Jimbei, as she fully understood how difficult it must be for him to carry the burden of an entire race's future on his shoulders.

"N-no! I-I'll go and do it..." Jimbei whimpered feeling defeated, angry at his own personal crisis. He only agreed because of how much blood stained the name of his fellow Shichibukai, Donquixote Doflamingo.

Doflamingo stared on, still wearing his hysterical smile, with his thoughts being full of regret for not being able to instigate Whitebeard's wrath. He was a truly mad man, thirsty for blood and the thrill of battle.

* * *

><p><em><span>Fisherman's Ship<span>_

The night had quickly faded away, with dawn cracking through the seemingly impenetrable shroud of darkness as the morning came and the Destined began to awaken from their peaceful sleep in the cabin, the girls having to share the bunk whilst the boys had to sleep with more space upon the hard wooden floor, waking up with individual aches and pains in their joints. Stepping out of the cabin first was Matt with a dozy Sora wrapped in his arm, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the light the dawn had brought them.

"Morning, sleep okay?" came a voice from the helm of the ship, revealing itself to be the still ecstatic Joe.

"If this is how pirates rest, then I'll die from this back pain!" Matt scoffed, his girlfriend giggling indiscreetly into her smooth palm.

"Well, whatever you say, I couldn't sleep last night, so I helped Ace and Tai around the ship overnight, I'm seriously tired!" Joe returned a comical scoff before his face hardened into one of worry "How did Davis and TK sleep?"

Wincing slightly, Sora hooked her hand around her blue shirt with a slackened face "They were taunting each other for about an hour... we need to pull together like we did in the old days, not claw at each others throats." Her wide pupils focused as she saw Ace's figure walk past the cabin toward the helm they had been standing at.

"Bounty headed pirates are supposed to be violent, unpredictable cutthroats. But in truth, most are generous and fiercely loyal to each other. They'll be fine, Sora." Ace comforted, not looking at the three as he checked the Log Pose and compared the readings with his chart. "You might want to wake and feed them, Matt. We'll be making landfall at the Horai Peninsula in nearly an hour."

"About how we'll defend ourselves... can you-"Matt suddenly noticed the lamenting look of his captain, almost annoyed with having to repeat himself _again_.

"Once we make landfall, we'll be sure to visit one of the sword smiths there. Although you may not believe it, Giants are skilled in there craft, and can create some of the finest blades for any size... now that I think about it, the Peninsula always had a rumour surrounding it of creating two of the Wazomono blades..." Ace trailed off, lost in thought as he tried to remember the grade of the two blades. If they were of high quality, all the better it was for the new students he had.

"...Wazomono swords?" Matt asked rather weakly, his disbelief over normal restrictions in his world already being cast aside due to Ace's display of Devil Fruit power. Right now, he'd believe _anything_ Ace said, even special or unique blades.

"You don't need to know at this point. But at any rate, you should feed them."

"Yeah, I'll fix something up." As he said this, a warm smile formed across Matt's face. But this brief smile fell into sadness as he released Sora from underneath his arm and headed back inside the cabin to gather the supplies.

"Joe and Sora, could you two help me put this onto the mast?" Ace requested rather sheepily, holding a large, folded piece of black cloth in his hand within his grasp as he reached for the mast and begun a slow assent of the thick log used on the ship. Sora and Joe were there as supports in case he fell backwards, but he did not fall; instead he reached a look out position on the apex of the mast, beginning to tie two corners of the black cloth onto it. He was still being rather giddy and cheeky by not revealing the black clothes contents, until Matt returned followed by the still sleepy Destined.

"Okay, crew. As we are pirate comrades for a little while, I felt it necessary to create the symbol of pirate pride. This is our first ship, but with some effort we can afford a larger one... I'm going off track, so without any delay, I declare us... the New Spade Pirates!" releasing his concealing grip of the cloth, it unfurled to reveal a unique skull and bones with a basic image of Ace's hat placed atop it, with a flaming Spade displayed proudly behind it as it whipped elegantly in the wind. As most of the Destined looked on in awe of the monumental meaning behind the flag, Kari still felt disgusted at being a pirate, as she believed she'd have to partake in thievery and death, something which terrified her, resolving to keep a distant eye on Ace for the good of her friends.

* * *

><p><em><span>Fifteen Minutes Later<span>_

_Horai Peninsula Shoreline_

"Alright, we're about to make landfall, so we'll split into two groups and search the island for the equipment you may need. Joe, I'm going to give you this, if I stay with the ship, you'll be able to find your way back, same goes for you, Tai." Ace ended this by taking two pieces of folded paper and placing them in the palms of his two chosen team leaders.

"What... is this?" Tai retorted to his captain.

"This is a Vivre Card; it will follow my life signature and lead you to me. It's hard to explain, so put it down as a special piece of paper." Ace moved to the other side of the deck, with both cards shifting slightly in his direction without any assistance by there holders against the wind to prove there legitimacy.

"Can I research these cards later, captain?" Izzy impatiently questioned, his face grinning wide and his eyes sparkling like a child receiving a gift. He was truly enjoying this world, just as he had the Digiworld.

"Maybe later, I'm gonna lower the anchor, so take the raft stored at the back of the ship and go to land. Gather whatever weapons and supplies you find necessary with the money in this bag." Ace tosses a rather hefty bag to the still giddy Izzy, with him bungling to keep hold of it due to its fair amount of heft, peeping inside to find several coins and notes for the world's currency, berries.

"How'd you have this much?" Mimi looked on, starstruck whilst deep in thought of clothes and jewellery she might buy to fuel her materialistic love of money and gifts.

"Pirate. There's about 12 million berries in there, so split it 13 ways for a 1 and a fifth million each. Oh, and try and feed your Digimon or whatever, they look drained even with that breakfast." Ace smiled warmly at his crew as they lowered the raft and gathered inside the vessel, managing to not capsize it by positioning themselves carefully. As Ace stared on, eventually disappearing for a nap, Izzy carefully shared out the money as ordered, giving everyone a starting tab of 1 million berries each to spend as they fancied.

Upon reaching land, they all chose the groups they desired to be in, resulting with a split team of unequal numbers, with Joe's team having Mimi, Izzy, Davis, Ken and Yolei with Hawkmon, Veemon and Minomon; leaving Tai to be stuck with Sora, Matt, Kari, TK and Cody with Gatomon, Patamon and Armadillomon.

As they said pleasantries to each other, Davis and TK gave a final glare before the groups left to find the Giants village.

_**Joe's Squad**_

As they walked through a thick thrush of vegetation in a rich forest, they spoke on several subjects, most prominent being Davis's rivalry with TK becoming explosive in recent events, even living on in this world where the Digidestined's purpose is to perfect teamwork. When Davis slammed the accusation and burdened it all upon TK's shoulders, several of his friends looked away in disgust as they believed TK to be wrongly accused as he always seemed more innocent than the brash Davis. Veemon remained on Davis's side, constantly telling the others to back off as he knew of TK's actions in the park a while ago.

Coming out of the thrush, they were blinded by an abnormal light that seemed to flicker in the breeze as the Destined stared on in silence, walking cautiously into the inferno within the clearing.

"Hey, whatsh that?" Veemon yelled, pointing his talon like finger at a large silhouette that coughed a red substance before struggling to it's knees, unable to climb any higher.

"It's a Giant!" Hawkmon responded, rushing over to check on the heavily bleeding gargantuan being, pulling Joe along by the wrist for his medical opinion on the Giants condition, ignoring Joe's yell that he knew nothing about the Giant's anatomy.

"P-please help me, I-I 'ave to stop 'em" the Giant managed to utter as his entire build shook with his giant right palm supporting him atop his braced knee.

"Stop who, sir?" Mimi managed to whimper through her mouth, placing it atop in shock and horror of the injuries the man had suffered, staring at Joe helplessly for guidance.

"I 'ave to stop... _**Hitsuji!**_" He roared before falling with a humongous thud in his wake, passing out of blood loss as all the Destined began to put out the flame with the aid of their Digimon, quickly switching to healers and performing anything Joe said in order to help the dying Giant.

To be continued...

Looking at the storyboard I created, this is going to be a great arc to write, especially the Horai Peninsula arc as new Devil Fruits will emerge and an unexpected power awakened within one of the Digidestined, but which one shall it be, and just how powerful are the Digimon in this world under the banner of pirates? And just what has Jimbei been asked to do?

Find out next time in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

Please **Review!**


	5. Logia Festivities

The adventure finally gets underway as the team make it to their first landfall on the way to the prophesied war they must use as a training opportunity. However, upon arrival, they find a dying Giant alongside a raging fire; and all he could utter was "Hitsuji!" before he passed out. Just what have the Digidestined brought upon themselves for siding with Ace?

Also, for anyone with any unique Devil Fruit or original character suggestions and other such things can send me a message. If you want the chance for your ideas to become part of this tale, feel free to send me a message.

**Great Blackbeard Search! Arc**

**Logia Festivities**

_**Tai's Squad**_

_Forest Path: Eastern area_

"Tai, when we get there, what weapons should we buy?" Matt sheepishly questioned, trying to take his mind off of the backchat about Davis taking place behind him and his tired girlfriend who moaned beside him.

"I'm thinking of getting a sword, who knows what types of pistols and rifles this world has." Tai laughed hysterically. He couldn't help but fiddle with the Vivre Card contained in his pocket as it was the only link between his squad and Ace, possibly the best defence they had at the moment.

"I just hope we can catch some grub, don't ya' agree, Cody?" moped Armadillomon, still hungry after the breakfast he had consumed not thirty minutes before as he trudged behind in the dense woodland area.

"Not really, but tell you what; you can have my share of the food we buy from the village." Cody's tone was angelically polite, although he was conflicted with anger inside after hearing some of the untrue stories of his idol Davis being a bully for some incident that neither TK nor Kari would disclose.

"Kari, what'll you buy?" Gatomon asked as she jumped in a fluid motion upon her partners back and placed her large gloves that cover her paws onto Kari's tense shoulder.

"Well... I hate weapons. No one should _ever _have to use a weapon to take someone else's right to life. It's as disgusting as being a bully, so I think I'll get you some food, 'kay, Gatomon?" she was agitated as she used the term 'bully', immediately having thoughts of Davis and TK's scuffle in the park that she as led to believe as bullying on Davis's part by her boyfriend, TK. She did, however, manage a smile to her feline partner, receiving a loving one back.

"That's a strange thing to say, Kari. Why are you considering a bully to be as evil as a weapon? And I will be getting you one, even if you don't use it; I love you too much." Tai barked, not even trying to hide his discomfort at the unsubtle attempts to start untrue rumours about Davis.

"Because bullies insult and hurt people deeply, trying to make themselves look good by pushing others down. It's disgusting, especially when it's done out of jealousy of another for wanting something you want as well." Although she didn't see it, beside her TK took a massive gulp as sweat began to form on his now pale and transfixed face; he was unbelievably nervous.

"TK, are you okay?" whispered Patamon softly as he glided beside his partners face blushing; he felt Gatomon's eyes on his back, not for what he thought, but it made him as nervous as his partner, starting a conversation to take attention off of _himself_.

TK remained silent for a brief moment, trying to think of an excuse to dissuade Tai or Cody from questioning him about his rivalry with Davis. "I was just wondering, why haven't we seen any Giants yet?" he was silently relieved at how plausible his excuse was, as the others had begun to notice the very same thing; no Giants, just a large track through the forest clearing they assumed led to the village they so sought. That however was thirty minutes ago.

"_Oh? Intruders, I see!"_

"...who just said that?" Armadillomon queried; a little unnerved at the strange echo he had just heard.

"_Listen, brats. The Giants are __**my **__cashcows, inexperienced pirate scum like you have no right to be here, you only just made a rather pathetic name for yourselves!" _The voice cackled once more as rustling was heard from several surrounding elder trees, making a distinction between them impossible for the Destined as their Digimon braced for battle whilst they looked around in disarray and confusion at the imposing voice with no conceivable source to be seen.

"Who are you? Are you a pirate!" Tai barked, already sickened by the voice's offensive tone echoing around them, as the other Destined stared on with intent at Tai; they knew he was trying to gain the upper hand in the situation.

The voice howled like a lone wolf in the moonlight, laughing hysterically at the wild brown haired teen that ordered him to answer him. _"Aren't we brave, 'Outlaw Star'? Do you really want to see me, or would you prefer not to look death in the eyes as I kill you?" _the voice cackled once more, this time raising the trees into a violent symphony that surrounded the group as a powerful wind seemed to form alongside them until it had focused in the one point before Tai. As his eyes struggled to comprehend what was happening in the violent gust, Tai saw sheets of paper circle before him; eventually forming into a humanoid shape and seemingly merging until the gust had died as quick as it came, leaving a strange man standing before them.

He was brisk in his stance and stride; shifting from one side to the other rather excitedly with both hands concealed within his large, baggy pockets. He sported a combed back widow's peak, revealing his gawkingly large forehead with a heavy scar running horizontally through his left eyebrow; strangely blood red within the wound, suggesting it was still fresh, maybe a day or two old at most. His hatchet face and heavily shadowed beard made it difficult to assume his age, with his lack of wrinkles making him a 20 – 30 year old man, with a fully opened green button shirt that was almost concealed by his black polka dotted cape that reached down to his black cargo pants and as far down as his common boots.

"W-what are you?" Sora blurted, immeadiatly regretting it as she felt bloodlust in the mans maddened stare; he was no more sane than the Shichibukai Donquixote Doflamingo.

"I'm a chosen one... I found and ate the Logia type Paper Paper Fruit, making me a Paper man. You could have died in blissful ignorance as I tortured you're friends, you know... I hate you uppity little bastards already! You're no fun at all!" his cackling voice was like poison, striking fear into it's victims as it made it to the vicinity of the body, and his constant shuffling from side to side on his feet made the group seriously wonder if he was as dangerous as he claimed.

Matt was adamant on the peaceful solution; he hated making Sora worry if he got into fights "Listen, we just want to gather some supplies-"

"Silence, 'Tidal Punk'! Kami Kama!" at saying this, he wildly swung his right arm above his shoulder and followed it back down in the same trail, releasing several pieces of paper flying sharply from his now blank arm. In the briefest instant, unable to react with the sheer speed of the paper, Matt braced himself, only to feel Cody swipe at his legs with unbelievable speed, enabling Matt to duck underneath the oncoming attack as he watched the after effects of the paper trail; several trees began to fall, all showing a clean cut at the base stretching deep into the dense forest the group had just been traversing.

"Gatomon!" screamed Kari as she stared on in horror of the strange man that had suddenly begun an assault on her friends. In her mind, she had one single thought; _I have to stop him, even if it means..._

"Patamon!" yelled TK, wincing at Kari's terrified posture; she was shaking uncontrollably at the knees and looked set to fall over if the enemy came any closer, leaving the hat wearing blonde with one thought; _I have to stop him from getting any closer! If that means he has to die, then so be it! I can be what Davis never was!_

"Armadillomon!" barked the now unrestrained Cody, slowly picking himself and Matt of the ground with Sora and Tai's aid as he apologised endlessly, being forgiven several times. He could not hear them, however, due to the one thought that filled him with courage; _He's... pure evil! He tried to kill Matt, actually __**kill**__ him! I-I have to put him down now, that doesn't mean he has to be killed, but if I can just stop him then maybe..._

As all three managed to gather their individual reserves of courage, their Digivices began to glow their individual colours brightly, stopping the foe from continuing his slackened dance on his feet as his expression darkened with confusion and bloodlust. Slowly, the three grabbed their D-3's and began the rudimentary code for evolution to occur.

"**Digi-Armour Energise!**" they all said in unison.

"Armadillomon, Armour Digivolve to... Digmon, the drill of power!" as the hue faded from his being, it revealed what resembled a standing beetle with Izzy's former crest, the Crest of Knowledge emblazoned proudly upon his back, his former paws giving way to semi-developed hands; but replaced by two interlocking drills on each hand and one place upon his nose.

"Patamon, Armour Digivolve to... Pegasusmon, flying hope!" as the hue dissipated from his being, it unveiled a fully developed horse like Digimon with golden shoes and mask fixated upon his face, revealing only his determined eyes; whilst upon his noble back, glorious wings of a golden tint were flapping as golden feathers shone within the forest. His chest plate held the indentation of TK's former crest, the Crest of Hope.

"Gatomon, Armour Digivolve to... Nefertimon, Angel of Light!" as the hue faded from her being, it revealed a strange hybrid of the former cat and a horse, wearing an Egyptian style mask like the one located upon the Great Sphinx, with glorious white wings blending seamlessly with the clouds above, showing just how angelic this evolution was. Upon her chest plate was the emblazoned former crest of Kari, the Crest of Light.

"...Interesting, _very_ interesting!" rather than show any shock like Vice Admiral Dalmatian when he saw Veemon evolve, the strange, caped man's maniacal laugh slowly returned as his body began to fade into a blank, white colour with several sheets that were latched onto him releasing at once and circling in the air around the group with no resistance, as if they possessed a will of their own. "Shall we commence, you uppity little turds?"

_Forest Clearing: Western area_

_**Joe's Squad**_

The team led by Joe were exhausted, having run around the unconscious Giant with no breaks as they patched up his wounds _and_ extinguished the flame beside them. As they wheezed vehemently, a large cluster of rocks beneath the slumbering Giant cracked in a single, booming ruckus as he began to regain consciousness and slowly lift himself up with obvious effort. Looking down through pain squinted eyes, he noticed the tired group at his feet, all wearing concerned faces; realizing that he was still alive, he upturned his palm, noticing it and other limbs no longer bleeding with his wounds seared shut.

"S-sorry... a-about th-that... F-Flamedramon thought... it was t-the only way... to close your gigantic wounds... does it h-hurt?" Davis barely managed to form a single sentence that was audible; wheezing heavily every second and restarting a word, finally standing and pointing toward his evolved partner Flamedramon; himself devolving at the same time into Veemon and rushing over to Davis's side, concerned about how heavy his panting was.

"N-no... we Giants are pain resistant, young'un. Thanks, kids, you saved meh life." The Giant bowed respectfully to the group; they themselves warmly smiling up towards him as his face scrunched up in agony, as he slowly rose back to one knee. His agitated face became darkened as a shooting pain travelled through his right shoulder, forcing him to clench and wince as he fell backwards into a sitting position; the Destined reeling from the gust of wind he created as he landed. "Damn it all! Those guys really took it outta meh!" he mockingly barked, still wincing for another moment before he settled down; allowing Joe to question him.

"We're sorry if it hurts, sir. But why did we need to close any wounds at all? What happened here?" Joe nervously observed as the Giant initially darkened his expression; his muscles hardening as well before a boorish sigh slackened his posture.

"Well... I'll tell ya'. I'm assuming ya' all pirates, right?" he stared down anxiously, smirking slightly at the curt nod Joe gave to him as he noticed out of the corner of his eye Mimi concealing herself behind Izzy rather poorly, unconcerned about the others noticing their closeness now. "Well, other pirates been coming here for a quick stop, but ya' all gotta be the first I ever seen who actually saved one of ma' kind from death! Usually we Giants consider death an honourable thing, but if I leave ta' island to Hitsuji, I'll never feel any honour in ta' next world!"

"B-but isn't life better than death?" Mimi sheepishly whimpered; almost helpless as she stood behind Izzy.

"Listen, I thank ya' for savin' ma' life, but you should never try and alter a man's beliefs!" the warrior of Elbaph had an angered appearance in his sitting position, a poignant vein running across his brow. "S-sorry... I'll explain, so please don't be scared of ma'... my name is Giant Laxus; in ma' village I was recognized as ta' guardian and elder of ma' village, Ritorubiggu. But I've been defeated in recent times by ta' monster known as Hitsuji. I'll go back to the beginning for ya'." Laxus took a deep breath before beginning his story, bending forward as he sat, almost as if he was talking to his children rather than the intently focused Destined; as they too sat down in a bundle before him.

_One Year Ago_

_Ritorubiggu Village_

"_Laxus, good mornin'!" cried a passerby within the large village of Ritorubiggu, a gathering place for the children of Elbaph. It had a large, metallic gate that was as thick as three average human males; with a single grand tower beside it, overlooking the entrance. Within the framed window of the tower was Laxus, smiling a goofy grin down to the passerby, flicking a switch beside him; activating a gear that slowly pried the heavy gate open for the passerby, lifting the switch back up once his fellow had gotten inside and sealing the cast iron mass that was the gate._

_Laxus was renowned as a local hero. Even among the proud Giants, his strength was abnormal; transcending well and above any of his fellows with his monstrous physical power. It was due to his strength that he was unanimously voted to be the village's guardian; watching over the gates and repelling any threat that may approach them ever since the Great Era of Piracy began over 20 years before the Digidestined's arrival in the world. He was so powerful, in fact, that many considered him to be the successor of the fabled Giant known and feared as 'Continent Puller' Oars, a monster said to have been one of the strongest beings physically to ever live._

"_Oi, Laxus! Ta' old man wants to see ya'!" Jefe was Laxus's best friend, they had shared many great times together, and also many bad times as well. Evidence of this is a large scar Jefe wore proudly across his mid section from battle; defending Laxus from an unseen enemy strike. For this, Jefe was referred to as 'Boss' by his eldest friend out of respect, even though Jefe was only an average Giant warrior before the mighty Laxus._

"_Ta' elder? But I have ta' stay here, Boss." Laxus weakly retorted._

"_Don't worry! I'll watch over the gate whilst ya' gone! If ta' gate is left unguarded, it'll cause ya' honour to suffer." Jefe was adamant on his proposition, secretly holding slight jealousy at the respect his mighty friend had garnered from his fellows; while he was eternally stuck in the back seat of the tribe. If he could defend the gate whilst Laxus was gone, he believed he could and would prove himself the equal of the Giant prodigy._

"_Alright, if ya' sure, Boss... I'll be back soon!" relieved as Laxus walked away from the tower with himself ascended atop it, Jefe smiled briefly as a large gust of wind hampered the seemingly perfect day; and the sky's becoming thick with rain clouds as he stared out to the distant ocean, noticing a small vessel in the distance..._

_Elder Mori's tent_

"_I heard ya' wanted to speak to ma', Elder Mori, what is it ya' needed?" Laxus lazily remarked, constantly being bombarded by praise without one single word of belittlement from the elder had taken their toll; he had now grown to secretly despise the fame his power had accumulated for him._

"_Ah, Laxus! I see our prodigy is still keeping fit for battle!" the elderly, slackened Giant remarked; his lengthy grey locks spread across a gargantuan pillow with his heavily scarred face a physical display of a battle hardened warrior in old age as he lay on a single rug, big enough to cover an entire caravel ship, breathing weakly as he rose slightly, noticeable tensing underneath his single, silk robe; the patches of glorious red it possessed now faded by the ravaging of time. "I have something to give you... a final gift from me..." his breath was intensely weak, his short attempts at respiring failing slowly as he reached behind a grand curtain located behind his head, pulling out a small object; held between his thumb and index finger gently as he handed it to Laxus._

"_A-a fruit, elder?" Laxus managed despite stammering; unknowing of how to react to his father figures proclamation of his very own demise. "Ya' are about ta' go on ta' paradise, ya' possessions from Elbaph should be with ya' at ta' end..." he was fighting desperately to force his building tears into recession, failing as one fell; paving the way for many others. Giants considered it shameful to cry, but he couldn't help it, the elder staring on in seeming amazement at the warrior._

"_L-Laxus? I can't see ya', where are ya'?" the old man was weaker than he had been before. Laxus understood immediately that death would claim him in mere moments; laying him down gently as his tears kept on falling, one landing upon the elders forehead, his eyes now faded into a translucent dull. "L-Laxus, are ya' cryin'?"_

_Knowing how much Mori cared for his strength and pride, he realized how much Mori would be saddened by the shameful act of shedding tears, even for a dying fellow. "N-no... I was just washing ya' forehead... gotta look clean in front of ta' gods, right?" to this, the elderly man smiled widely, almost as if he cast his peoples ideas of shame away and understood how Laxus must feel at the moment of his carer's demise. Humouring him, he made a final vow to preserve his protégé's pride._

"_Right... Laxus, eat ta' fruit. I found it... many years ago... at sea... it will provide you... with the power to... protect... my children... please..." his cracking voice was dying slowly, and his eyes had fully become pure, showing that he was at peace._

"_Is t'is a Devil Fruit, elder!" Laxus cried, his voice waning with sadness as he watched Mori slowly wither; his life flickering lightly before fading._

"_Y-yes, and... Laxus... eat that fruit... and protect the... people of Rittorubiggu... for me... Elder Laxus..."with that, his head fell back into his pillow, his eyes now sealed for the final time, and his final groan signalling the final gasp of Elder Mori. With his final words, Laxus burst into heavy tears; uncaring of the shame he brought himself. After several long moments of sadness, he looked up at the deceased warrior before him, and raised the hand that held Mori's final will and testament. "I __**will protect them**__, I swear it." Placing the fruit into his mouth, a resounding chomp sounded, as he rose and exited the tent with red, puffed up eyes._

_The sight that met him though, was a horrific one._

_**CRASH! BOOM!**_

_A loud explosion was heard to his right, turning to see the mighty village of Giants ablaze with dead bodies scattered with some holding hands; dying as a family in the face of the explosion. His loud crying and overall ignorance to the outside from within the tent had prevented him from hearing the cries, screams and yells that now bore their way deep into his skull._

"_W-what ta' hell!" Laxus cried, wincing and clutching his chest as a sudden strange, fiery tail seared all over his body as he was forced to watch helplessly at the destruction before him. "Ta' Devil Fruit..."_

"_Laxus...!" came an echoed yell from the distance. Turning toward the voice, he saw Jife and several other Giants running toward him, with a strange look on all of their faces. It was that of __**Blind Rage.**_

"_Traitorous bastard!" another one cried, raising his large wooden hammer and swinging it in one swift motion toward Laxus, striking him in the temple, immediately drawing blood and forcing him into retreat upon the ground. "Jife told us why this is happening!" he scorned unrelentingly, with the other Giants within the cluster yelling abuse at the clueless new Elder. _

"_**Why would ya' leave the gate undefended without telling anyone!" **__all the Giants abruptly barked in unison, bewildering Laxus as he looked at his apologetic and shamed friend Jife; for he had failed to defend the gate and, in the spur of the moment, accused Laxus of abandoning his post and allowing the attacking force to enter through the gate. But after glancing over a the gate, he saw the heavy gates not opened forcefully, but sliced cleanly open in the shape of an 'A'._

"_Oi, oi! Are you survivors?" a cold, malicious voice resounded behind the lynch mob of Giants. Turning swiftly around, they all flinched as they came face to face with three humans surrounded by seemingly palpable air, thickened by their great bloodlust. "This island is now our territory. Pay the fee we ask every week and you live; fail, and... Well, let's just put it down as a 'fun surprise'._

"_Ya' threatening Giants ta' do ya' bidding? Nonsense, attack!" at this proclamation, the entire Giant squad rose their weapons and began to swing wildly at the swift and agile humans. They seemed to refuse in fighting back against them, however, until the leader gave them grievous orders._

"_Oi, Kama. Teach these guys a __**good**__ lesson, but try not to kill them." He maliciously ordered, garnering an obligatory nod from the rather large man dodging hammer and blade swipes from the Giants._

"_Takin' ya' eyes off a Giant? Scum!" cried the ashamed Jife, raising his sword above his head as he felt Laxus's rage filled eyes upon his back. Swing down violently, he managed to slice the ringleader of the invading humans down the middle, effectively slicing him in half._

_However, out of the two halves came a strange brown liquid that attached to both halves; pulling him back together without so much as a scratch to give credence to the finishing blow he was just delivered. "But__** this one **_**dies**_**, do it, Hidan."**__ He spat with venom and frost at Jife._

_At this order, Hidan Ryuuga jumped toward Jife, his palm extended in the form of a makeshift blade. As he closed in, he let out a maniacal sneer._

"_Kami Shuta!" he barked, as his hand fluttered into pieces of paper; the sheets separating from his fingertips elongating, converting his palm into a gargantuan claw, on par with the Giants hands. Laxus stared on in sorrow and pain; a very familiar warm spray forming droplets as they landed on his seated person. Jife gacked and coughed plentiful amounts of blood, his armour having been pierced through to his gargantuan chest. The former scar that he felt so proud of had also been penetrated as a target for Hidan's strike._

"_Pahahaha! Die... die already, you ugly bastard!" Hidan rasped as he landed before Laxus; looking away from him to see the damage he had inflicted to Jife._

"_B-Boss...?" Laxus was in disbelief of what he had just seen, his friend wheezing heavily with a large tunnel drilled through his chest, coughing a lot of his blood and collapsing onto the ground, where he lay motionless for several moments before coughing again; all those present looking on with different reactions. "BOOOSSSSSSSS!" he cried, lifting himself with haste to a single knee as the other Giants stared on in fear of Hidan and the ringleader._

"_Once again... __**We **__are your new rulers. You will pay us the weekly sum of 25,000 berries per week, or you can suffer the consequences and die like him. I am Hitsuji, the large man on my left is Montague Kama, and you will probably memorise him mostly, Hidan Ryuuga. Any objections?" the leader cackled loudly, as the Giants present were now genuinely worried for not only their sakes, but their families as well. One brave Giant rose his weapon foolishly, until..._

"_**Do not move!**__" cried Laxus, now back to his feet. "Will you leave 'em if I make ya' some sort of deal this time?" he hesitantly remarked._

"_...Oh! A smart Giant! Don't see that everyday!" all of them couldn't help but twitch angrily at that, staring on with beads of sweat running over their poignant veins. "Who are you, wise man?"_

"_Ta' name is Giant Laxus. Elder and Guardian of Ritorubiggu village."_

"_Elder! What happened to Elder Mori... he didn't..." the rowdy group began to form tears in their eyes, but for the sake of tradition, they could not be allowed to fall; it was like a knife to the heart._

"_He passed on, my broth-"_

"_Traitorous dog! Ya' left your post without anyone knowing to kill Elder Mori, didn't ya'?" a Giant cut Laxus off, unable to take the loss of Mori due to his age, not to mention the title of Elder suddenly becoming Laxus's. It seemed too convenient._

"_Tell you what, Elder Laxus. Leave this village... no, __**renounce**__ it and I will order Kama to stand down. As the leader of the village you are the greatest threat to our reign." The devious foe scoffed and began to laugh under his breath. He was testing Laxus to see if he would take the far less painful route for his people._

_Laxus remained silent for a moment, flabbergasted at the option confronting him, to abandon the village and let them live in the humans tyranny, or to let them all die due to his failure as elder. Remarkably, however, he came up with an ingenious way of releasing the village from them, if the leader agreed. "... Fine..."_

"_Traitorous scum!" cried the group, one leaping forward with his fist coiled; preparing to strike Laxus in his already wounded temple. However, Laxus simply swung his fist lazily at his fellow; sending him backwards into the clutches of the group, as they stared on helplessly._

"_Ya' can't beat me. What's ya' name, human?" his eyes diverted and his body pivoted to meet the leader's eyes; both filled with unbridled malice as they stared through one another._

"_It's Hitsuji." He replied swiftly, as hesitating would reveal some form of fear from the display of Laxus's unique level of strength, even amongst other Giants of the village._

"_Hitsuji, I have one condition for ta' deal."_

"_Oh?"_

"_I will constantly challenge ya' to fights until I manage to beat ya'. When I do, ya' gotta promise you'll release ta' village." He was slightly curious as to Hitsuji's reaction. Rather than show fear or bravery; he laughed madly once more._

"_You got one hell of a condition, Giant! Very well; but get the hell out of the village, you traitorous dog." Hitsuji, Kama and Hidan all began to laugh at Laxus as he slowly walked away from the now totally dominated Riturobiggu village; as he was now branded as both a filthy traitor and a murderous, power hungry dog. As he walked out of the sliced gate, he heard several lamenting remarks about how the people ever loved and respected him, followed by stones being thrown at his back by the children of the Giant's village. As he began to walk away at a brisker pace, he noted out of the corner of his eye the flames dying down; which would lead to the terrible rule of the three, stretching as long as the day the New Spade Pirates made landfall on the Horai Peninsula's coast a full year later._

_Present Day: The Clearing_

The group all had mixed opinions as Laxus ended his tale on a rather low note; he himself having sealed his eyes shut as he remained as immobile as stone in his seated position. Davis rose to his feet, looking across his shoulder to the initial site of the blaze from which they found Laxus. He hadn't noticed before, but the blackened pieces of timber and pipe were shaped in a square, almost resembling...

"Is that your house, Laxus?" he said somewhat hesitantly, looking back up to see his newest friends pained expression. He had hit the nail right on the head. "Was it Hitsuji?"

"No, it was ta' villagers... they hate me now and beat me once this place was found. I didn't defend myself... some leader I am, don't cha think?" He let out a pained laugh, pain was evident in not only his face, but his voice as well.

"Oi, oi! Ready for today's attempt, Elder Laxus?" came a distant, shrill voice. Seeing their friends wince and angered expression, they immediately deduced that Hitsuji stood behind them. As they faced him, they noticed his rather well developed muscles, comparable to Ace's, as they stuck out due to his unbuttoned green shirt, concealed by a rather elegant looking red captains coat, the golden epaulets themselves draped over his shoulders; making it difficult to see how bold or slackened they were. He was wearing baggy green pants that cut off around his calves, revealing his hairy legs that escaped sight in his small pair of black sailor boots.

"Hitsuji..." Laxus rasped, unpleased with the enemy before him.

"Oh, and you've brought friends... well they will die, I can promise you that." Hitsuji malevolently shook with maddened excitement, trembling with laughter as the Digimon stood before their partners, ready to challenge the apparently invincible Hitsuji.

"Watch out, ya' fools! He's a Logia fruit user!" Laxus yelled nervously, uptuning his palm as it he clenched it tightly; as it slowly began to convert into a reflective, metallic fist. "I have the power of the Steel Steel Fruit thanks to Elder Mori! He's mine to defeat!"

Hitsuji placed his hands in his pockets, sighing forcibly as he sealed his eyes in disappointment. "You always say that, and yet you always_** lose**__" _as he finished his lecture, Hitsuji removed his right arm slowly from his pocket; converting it into the strange brown substance Laxus had mentioned during his retelling of the island's story over the last year. "Shall we commence? As a handicap, I can only move and use my right arm; meaning I have to stay in this position... come!"

_**Tai's Squad**_

_Forest Path: Eastern area_

"**Is that all?**" Hidan disappointedly spat with venom and frost in his tone.

Lying before him were Gatomon, Patamon and Armadillomon covered in scratches and blood, as the group of kids stared on in horror of the display of power on the part of the Paper Paper Fruit user standing before them, as he recommenced with his strange habit of shuffling side to side as he laughed mockingly in the Digidestined faces.

Kari began panting uncontrollably, her fear deterring her natural instinct to check on the injured Digimon, eventually reverting to screaming. "Gatomon! Patamon! Armadillomon!"

"So you want to die, girl?" at this, he leapt forward at high speed, raising his right hand and converting it into sheets of paper. "Kami Shuta!" as the enlarged paper claw approached Kari, she could only manage a gasp and to form tears in the short space of time, recognizing this as the moment of her death.

However, that never came to be, as TK pushed her swiftly out of the way, with the blow only grazing his torso, yet leaviving what appeared to be hacking sword marks across his chest; collapsing with blood spurting out instantly as he felt faint. Kari rose back up after the instant, seeing TK covered in blood and wheezing, herself becoming overwhelmed by terror and sadness as she felt faint also, eventually fainting as several cries were heard from the other Destined and Digimon to the two of them.

"K-Kari..." TK managed to gasp before his sight faded slowly, and his hearing died away as well. He passed out, managing to make out the word 'Fist' before his consciousness finally escaped him, leaving him to fall into the darkened void as he cried out Kari's echoing name.

**To be continued...**

Please **Review!**

Has one of the Digidestined fallen in battle? What will become of Laxus and Joe's Squad against the ringleader, Hitsuji? And will any of the Destined live long enough to reach_ or_ save Ritorubiggu village from the destructive trio of Hidan, Hitsuji and the mysterious Kama? Find out next time in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

Before anyone goes and checks, yes, the Paper Paper Fruit does exist already, used by Simon from the GBA game The Mystery of The Seven Islands. I did not feel that Simon was the appropriate type of character for the story, as he lacked the necessary malevolence, so I replaced him with Hidan Ryuuga, the absolutely off his head character presented.


	6. From Bad to Worse

Things are moving along nicely; or they were, until the Digidestined were confronted whilst at half strength, Tai's group already having fallen before the mighty Paper Paper Fruit user Hidan Ryuuga. During the decidedly one sided battle, TK was struck by Hidan; protecting Kari at the cost of a possibly fatal wound. Will Joe's group follow suit or have greater luck against the also monstrous Hitsuji?

**Great Blackbeard Search! Arc**

**From Bad to Worse  
><strong>

_New World: Moby Dick_

"Sorry, buddy, but how do we know your not an assassin?" spat a member of the crew, looking face to face with Rockstar on the furthest side of the massive whale styled flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Not that one of his _subordinates_ would be able to threaten his life..." he scoffed slightly, still staring down the invader as he stood sternly.

"Listen, I'm just here to deliver a letter to Whitebeard, please let me hand it to him." Rockstar retorted defiantly to the grunt worker that blocked his path.

"Oi, let him pass for now." Came a stern, proud voice from behind the grunt worker.

"But, Marco... what if he -"

"I seriously doubt 'Red Hair' would send his subordinate to carry out such a task as killing Pops. Have faith, although he's old, he can still crush entire militaries on his own." Marco belittled his subordinate, giving a passing gesture to Rockstar to follow him up to the deck, where he found himself faced by the legendary pirate he sought, Edward Newgate sat in his captains chair with entire barrels of booze beside him with his nursing staff. He was hooked up to life equipment; making him appear helpless, yet Rockstar had a feeling if he so much as twitched that he was a dead man.

"Well? What is it, you snot nosed brat?" he barked, looking down at the pirate with distain in his voice and several barrels beside him, full of booze he planned on gorging on as Rockstar presented him the letter tentatively.

_Horai Peninsula_

_**Tai's Squad**_

_Forest Path: Eastern area_

"TK! Kari!" Sora cried, falling to her knees in disbelief of what had just happened. She stared for a moment at TK's wound, somewhat gawking at the bravery he had just displayed before the group.

"TK!" Patamon screamed, breaking down in tears as he struggled to stand; finally managing to rise and stand with great difficulty; inching his way closer and closer to his now passed out partner. "H-he's bleeding, Tai! Help!" he cried helplessly, his voice shrill and desperate.

"P-Patamon... I can't do a-anything... I'm a useless leader!" he yelled, his voice shaken with discomfort as he admitted his own personal weakness as a leader; Cody, Sora and Matt looking on somewhat surprised whilst Gatomon and Armadillomon stared back at the disgruntled leader with squinted eyes, making it difficult to tell if they felt either pity or shame.

"Patamon... I know it m-must be hard... ugh... but TK's a fighter, he'll pull through..." Gatomon's attempt at consoling her friend sounded shaky and unsure as she pulled herself to her feet and staggered over to her unconscious partner, finding relief at how close she was to dying just a moment ago.

"T-that's right... he's always been a fighter... like Davis..." Armadillomon, however, was badly wounded with a large cut at his left shoulder; collapsing under his own weight with a grunt as Cody ran over with tear brimmed eyes and comforted the injured Digimon.

"**A fighter, eh?" **the terror inspiring laugh resounded once more, accompanied by Hidan's spaced out footsteps as he shuffled over in his habitually strange way. "Yet he _will_ die... I'll make sure of that now, you goddamn pansies." He was cold in his returning statement, relishing in the helpless children's despair as he etched closer and closer up the path surrounded by dense woodland.

"_Am... I gonna... die?" _TK thought lightly, the noise inside his head growing lighter and lighter as he fell into a dazed trance; finally starting to pass out from his wound, losing his hearing of the outside world disappearing fast; all of his friends cries for Hidan to leave him be growing fainter.

"P-please don't hurt him!" screamed Sora, her eyes welling with building tears as her face scrunched up nervously.

"Freaking paper bastard!" Matt roared, charging blindly at the enemy that planned on attacking his defenceless little brother. It was to no avail, however, as he was simple back handed by Hidan's clenched fist; the blow was so fast, his captain's coat flapped seconds after his initial move as Matt clutched his cheek, feeling a swelling sensation as he looked back over to the monster before him.

"Kami Shuta." said Hidan, raising his palm face down with his fingers and thumb extended; aiming right for TK as he coldly stared down at him. "Now you **die!**"

_I'm sorry, Kari... you guys! I wasn't strong... enough..." _TK's fading thoughts finally began to become fogged; the same phenomena experienced right before sleep is achieved.

"**White Fist!" **yelled a distant, cold voice as a sudden burst of channelled smoke targeted at the blood splattered figure of Hidan, sending him into a retreating backward step from the thick plume as it surrounded the Destined and rendered their visibility to nothingness as footsteps approached from behind them.

"You're 'Rap Sheet' Hidan, the blood splattering member of the Devil Cult; with a well deserved bounty of 140 million berries, correct?" came a low, shrill voice, almost echoing throughout the thick smoke cloud as if it was the very blanket itself.

"Oh, you've heard of me... Commodore Smoker?" he retorted with a distinct tinge of unease about him.

"And you've heard of me, you flatter me, you sick sadist. Well, 'Rap Sheet', Fire Fist Ace's crew; I will now detain you, prepare for a _lot _of pain." As his voice bellowed with a cold warning, the smoke began to clear instantaneously into the atmosphere, revealing to the already desperate children another foe; Navy Commodore Smoker as he braced with a strange truncheon type weapon in his right arm, raising the weapon nonchalantly upon his shoulder and gesturing to the entirety of the outlaws to attack him. Naturally, only Hidan complied and initiated the battle between paper and smoke.

_**Joe's Squad**_

_Forest Clearing: Western area_

"L-let me g-go!" squealed Mimi, caught in the vile grasp of Hitsuji's strange, converted fluid arm, as it shaped and hardened perfectly around her neck, allowing him to lift her without any danger of choking her. "I-Izzy, help!" she begun to cry, her tears flowing down to and over the noose; terrified of the sickening face Hitsuji was making as she felt the liquid noose tighten slightly.

Her allies were strewn around the forest clearing's ground, covered in soil and soot from the former site of Laxus's home; they all struggled to stand up once more, Izzy managing to summon the strength at Mimi's whelp, noticing Hitsuji's sickening interest in the feisty, sensual young girl; taking note of her beauty and dyed, streaked hair as his smile widened like a crevice across his tensed, wrinkled features.

"Heavy Metal!" yelled the echoing roar of Laxus, his reopened wounds now seeping with blood as his right fist was transfigured into a brilliantly polished steel version, connecting with an unflinching Hitsuji and sending him flying into a nearby tree as the hardened liquid from his arm had smashed violently, releasing Mimi with a loud gasp as she collapsed into Izzy's embracing arms.

"It... smashed?" Davis asked, covered with dirt stains and soot from Laxus's burnt down house. "What kind of brown liquid hardens and then smashes that easily?"

"Hey, jerk!" sounded the bellowing roar of an agitated Laxus, finally realizing why Hitsuji didn't even flinch at his proposition the year before; he relied on his Logia defences. This gave him an idea to make victory possible after watching him use them even when holding Mimi. "Fight like a man without ya' Logia powers!" he yelled as his foe seeped through the rubble from his crash landing into a tree as his liquid form. As the liquid began to spin violently and shape itself back into human form, Izzy was illuminated with anger and realisation as he stood Mimi up slowly.

"That motion... of course!" he yelled, pointing toward the now reformed enemy as his fellow allies looked at him with desperation. "Clay!"

"Clay?" questioned Veemon, barely able to stand with the hardened liquid engulfing his left leg and making it difficult to move around with its strange and excessive density weighing him down.

"Clay can't harden with another element present, but what was it?" Yolei pondered whilst hiding behind Ken in a rather stereotypical helpless girl situation. She of course was doing this on purpose to appear more down to earth towards Ken.

"Good, I see you figured out what it is... and it was looking like so much fun, you all being clueless, that is." Cackled Hitsuji loudly, mocking his enemies with his voice alone. "But tell me, why should I disuse my gift when all scum like you can do is perish against a chosen one?"

"I've always wondered, what do ya' mean by 'chosen one'. Ya' actually really unimpressive as a warrior, so how are you three 'chosen'?" Laxus's words actually managed to sandbag Hitsuji; his usually crevice wide smile fallen into a darkened expression as he converted his arm into his clay form, bracing to strike the Giant as the other Destined saw a chance to Digivolve during his moment of dissolution; but then they realized something at once that really did hamper their chances of victory.

"_What element can actually overpower clay?"_ with the evolutions present with them; including lightning, fire, two variants of wind and Wormmon, how could they possibly challenge this unconventional monster?

Davis's thoughts were shrouded by mixed emotions such as anger and confusion as he pondered on how this foe could be challenged by the Destined and not just Laxus._ "Brute force might work, meaning..." _his thoughts suddenly became a logical thread of planning, guaranteeing everyone's escape in case it failed because of the Digimon's flight abilities. "Ken! DNA Digivolve, c'mon!"

"He's actually got a point; can you do it, Minomon?" Ken nervously relayed to his still minute Digimon partner, receiving a curt nod yet an unsure look in his partner's eye. Swiftly pulling out their Digivice's, they channelled a lot a concentration and energy into the small devices, making them flash in combination with the bestowed power of the Sovereign's Digi-core.

"Veemon, Digivolve to... ExVeemon!" as the blue flash faded from his enlarged and reshaped being, it revealed the previously short statured reptilian creature had grown exponentially to at least half of Laxus's gigantic stature; his broad, well toned chest adorned with an X mark and his elongated face resemblant of a typical dinosaurs beak as he had evolved with a pair of faded white wings to enable his new ability to fly.

"Minomon, Digivolve to... Wormmon!" as the dark green flash faded from his small stature, he had changed into a large, green and purple worm creature with a strange insignia emblazoned upon his forehead and his jaws sideways, giving him a distinctive facial appearance coupled with his talon like fingers.

"Wormmon, Digivolve to... Stingmon!" as the dark green flash dissipated from his shape, it showed a large humanoid type Digimon, equal in size to his Champion-level companion. Although more humanoid in basic anatomy, his skin was a hardened, dark green and black spliced armour with a strange face that resembled a beetle mask with large feelers extending down his shoulder blades.

Hitsuji snapped back into reality, looking almost shocked as ExVeemon's giant, illuminated fist closed in on his side with deadly accuracy, threatening to send him flying backwards a few yards at least.

"_I... I can't make it!" _he thought to himself nervously as his formerly overconfident expression and arrogantly lacklustre battle tactics faded, leaving him looking terrified as the fist connected with his wrinkled, scaly face with incredible force.

A thunderous crash followed, leaving a long trail of dust in Hitsuji's wake and trees either destroyed or hanging on slightly and rocks scattering from the crash site. The Destined and a recovering Hawkmon stared on with amazement as long moments of anticipation had passed; the dust clearing little by little and revealing a large, entombed crater that restrained Hitsuji as Laxus looked on with joy, seeing something rather amazing.

"They... hit him?" asked Hawkmon hesitantly.

"I felt him!" yelled ExVeemon somewhat excitedly, "It felt like it usually does when I punch other Digimon! He wasn't clay!"

"It's cause he was off guard!" bellowed Laxus hysterically; he had just found the tyrant's weakness after one year. "He 'as a low attention span!"

Suddenly, the dreaded liquid clay seeped out of the heavy rocks, swirling and reforming back into its humanoid form, however, this time blood was seen on his now furious and swelled face, staring at ExVeemon with the same look of blankness as an executioner.

"Okay... now it's _**my **_turn to get serious." He spat at the allied group as they stared on from the clearing with smug looks.

"Hawkmon, help them out!" Yolei shouted, her now illuminated Digivice ablaze with energy and Hawkmon glowing bright red.

"Hawkmon, Digivolve to... Aquilam-"

"Arcilla Cannon." Blurted Hitsuji as his previous demeanour returned to him, his arm completely converted and quickly shaping into a hollow mass of hardened clay, punching with the arm and firing the projectile with the speed of a cannonball at the immobile Digimon.

Hawkmon jarred as the sphere collided with him, extinguishing the light into small ember like flames as he fell to his knees in pain, Yolei running over to him with a worried face.

"You dirty little... DNA Digivolve, now!" Yolei ordered somewhat faintly, her Digimon now unconscious in her arms.

"Silence, you annoy me, you little bitch." Hitsuji loomed before her with cold words, her gasp attracting the attention of the allies as their previous smugness escaped them.

"W-what?" barked Davis and ExVeemon in unison, "He's still over their as well!" they said, looking back at the enemy they were only just mocking.

"Unless..." upon saying this, Stingmon sped over to the shaken Hitsuji by the destroyed treeline and struck him with a ferocious kick, the victim's body converting into a brown substance that encased and hardened on the bug Digimon's leg. "That's the real one!" he bellowed.

Although they were looking and speaking to a clone, the real body still showed heavy damage from the earlier strike that had bypassed his defences due to his attention span, but this one was not angered, but laughing mockingly in the lavender haired, bespeckled girl kneeling petrified before him, terrified as he showed his returned furious expression once more.

"You shall be the first one to go." He whispered lightly to her, his cold voice overbearing the sounds of her allies' pleas for him to leave her alone. She teared up heavily as he raised his fist and prepared to strike her without using his powers.

"**That's enough, Head." **echoed a terrifying rasp that exuded bloodlust as the two Champion-levels looked feverishly in the air, both suddenly noticing a large, imposing figure that stood atop the pile of ash that once stood as the Giant's home.

He was a physically imposing man, standing well above 8 feet in height with a large, jet black leather hooded cloak shrouding his physical features but still shown to be well toned at his rather large biceps, his lower body almost curving down to his hips from this muscular build, his legs also rather thin by comparison as the cloak opened slightly and revealed his black boots.

"Kama, I'm just having fun... this better be good." Hitsuji was cold even to this strange newcomer, more agitated by the fact he interfered as he was about to strike and possibly kill a crying Yolei.

He pulled back his hood, revealing a very pronounced face with a heavy scar across his right cheek and ceasing at the bridge of his shapely nose.

"We have Marine guests, they were spotted 30 minutes ago." He uttered with a distasteful nasal quality in his tone, obviously getting on the last nerve of his supposed 'Head'.

"Spiking Strike!" yelled Stingmon, flying toward Hitsuji with his hilt shaped wrist protruding a purple blade aimed at the clay man in the hopes that this new distraction would grant him a blow as it did for his friend.

"Vee Laser!" bellowed ExVeemon as he shot an X shaped laser flying from his chest toward Kama, uncaring of what the consequences might be; he had no idea how powerful Kama was, and was too blinded by adrenaline to remain calm.

As the two attacks approached at high speeds from the air, Stingmon managed to land the blow, however Hitsuji wasn't as callous as before, activating his Logia defence on reflex and letting the beam to slash through, trying to ensare it in clay before Stingmon deactivated the attack, grabbing Yolei and Hawkmon as he returned to the anxious group of kids, Laxus having yielded to the effects of his blood loss, battling the darkness threatening to consume him on one knee.

ExVeemon's attack garnered a positive result, striking Kama full on and destroying the surrounding earth he stood upon. As a large cloud of dust rose over the area, the allies yelled in victory before a strange, mechanical like footstep was heard, followed by the cloaked giant leaping toward the in flight Digimon with great speed, reaching him and kicking him effortlessly at Stingmon; forcing both to devolve due to damage caused by Kama's singular strike.

"H-he's incredibly strong!" shouted Joe, now running over to the Digimon and beginning basic treatment on the two of them.

"How did he...?" Veemon managed to whimper before falling unconscious in Davis's arms, Wormmon following suit with Hawkmon already out of commission in Yolei's still petrified arms.

"Fine, let's get back to Rittorubiggu village. Signal Hidan to return." Hitsuji ordered.

"Don't worry, thanks to _that_, he'll have to return anyway." Kama exuded smugness and confidence as a small smirk formed on his face, awkwardly compressing on his heavy scar and making him squint slightly.

As the two walked away through the forest, the allies rounded up the injured and begun a head count, to distraught during the 'battle' to notice any of the others, sighing with relief as they had everyone accounted for, including the injured Laxus.

"Are you gonna be alright, big guy?" asked Joe politely toward the profusely bleeding Laxus, who smiled back at him warmly and nodded.

"I'll find medicine on ta' outskirts, some of ta' villagers believe in ma' still and leave food an' medicine." He laughed as he said this, bringing a smile to Mimi's face; she had been concerned at how bad he was bleeding and felt some relief at his announcement.

Yolei, however, was still trembling in Ken's embracing arms. She had never felt so scared in her life in the presence of her friends and she believed she reacted... **pathetically**. How could she protect her friends if she couldn't move in the face of an enemy? He was furious and still made the choice that she wasn't worth using the Clay Clay Fruit's power on. After calming down slightly, she looked down at her partner, who was still badly injured and asleep.

"Listen; let's use the Vivre Card and return to the ship. We'll need the supplies there after this and if the others are in trouble, they will have gone back. If they haven't, the captain is still there, so that's a positive. Any objections?" Joe was so stern and self-confident now; his appointment as Vice Captain was a major boost in his leadership abilities, combining with his reliability and respect among the group; actually reassuring them after the terrifying ordeal.

"No, Vice Captain!" They yelled warmly, almost forgetting about the terror they had just been experiencing. As for Yolei, she still shook slightly in Ken's arms as she stared at her partner almost apologetically.

"Ya' guys, I'm off to get some medicine, if there's any trouble, I'll help ya' to repay ya'." Said Laxus, vanishing into the treeline with blood droplets following suit. The Destined picked themselves up of the ground and began walking behind Joe as he held out the Vivre Card. In the Destined's arms were an unconscious Wormmon, Veemon and Hawkmon; leaving Yolei walking back in Ken's arms as she shook in silent remorse and deep, clouded thought.

_**Tai's Squad**_

_Forest Path: Eastern Area_

"Not bad, Smoker." Hidan heaved, vehemently tired from the battle against the Marine commodore as shredded pieces of paper engulfed the earth, the Destined cowering slightly behind a tree on the outskirts of the path, unable to move any further due to the battle destroying the surrounding forest and TK being to heavily wounded to carry whilst running.

"Not bad? You're **losing!"** he yelled back, his jutte placed forward as he pointed at Hidan with its tip. In the battle he had managed to strike the Logia user with the weapon, drawing blood from his foe.

Agitated as he watched Smoker place two cigars in his mouth and light them with his free hand, not even considering Hidan a threat any more. "Forget this, time for my ultimate technique!" he yelled nervously, making Tai and Smoker wonder whether he was bluffing.

"Kami Sukima!" he yelled with obvious focus in his eyes, his veins popping upon his brow to emphasise this.

Suddenly, paper from his feet began to enter the ground, several sheets at a time as Smoker watched, interested to see his ultimate technique. Soon after, the ground began to tremble violently as a large crack began to appear on the earth and it slowly began to separate. Smoker indeed was slightly impressed at the technique's power, but the trembling stopped as he looked over at Hidan, who suddenly started bleeding with large burns encasing his body.

"D-damn... you, K-Kama... why now?" he wheezed, suffering quite a lot of pain as he breathed in heavily, reverting to his paper form and flying with the wind; dispersing so as to lose Smoker.

"Oh well... that was fun." He said as he puffed out a small cloud of smoke, turning with his trademark cruel look at the hidden Destined. "Now surrender, we can care for 'Prideful Knight' if you come peacefully."

"S-should we?" Sora whimpered as she held Kari in her arms.

"It's not like we can do anything else... at least this way TK's cared for... we'll come up with an escape plan once the Digimon recover." Tai whispered, rising out of the bush willingly and facing Smoker with distrust in his eyes. "We'll come if you help him."

"Very well, follow me." Smoker sent chills down their spines, but they had no alternative at the moment, it was Tai's plan or death. So they began following him briskly, carrying the injured and unconscious with them down the now separated path toward Ritorubiggu village, the current location of Smoker's Marine squadron.

_Fisherman's Vessel_

"Hotorubi, Hidaruma!" barked Ace, releasing bright green spores from his palms that had ignited at his command, defeating several common Marines with the blow.

"Everybody, encircle him and attack as one!" said one of the Marines, as they obeyed and encircled Ace on the shoreline beside the ship.

"Enkai, Hibashira." He sighed, raising a towering inferno at his behest and sending the Marines scattered in different directions, knocking them unconscious as they made their loud crash-landings.

"A-Ace!" came a small, sweet voice from the forest, revealing itself to be Mimi as she called out to her captain with sadness and unease about her.

"Mimi? Where are the others?"

"Here..." Joe whimpered, his stern back carrying the wounded an unconscious Hawkmon while Ken carried his partner under one of his arms, Yolei shaking in another's comfort. Meanwhile, Mimi was hooked beneath one of Izzy's arms awkwardly as they all walked out of the treeline toward the ship.

"...what happened to him?" he asked gingerly, helping Joe to lift him onto the ship's deck, the blue haired adolescent running over to the store room and returning quickly with bandages and a small alcohol bottle.

As Davis, Mimi and Izzy began to explain in brief about the events of the previous few hours, Ace's face became more and more contorted as he seemed unnerved slightly at the three men ruling over the island, calling themselves 'chosen ones'. To this, Ace gave a dreadful grunt as he looked back at the Destined, Hawkmon receiving treatment and Wormmon inside the cabin, lying on the mattress.

"I think I know the guy's your talking about..." he stated, receiving curious glares from the Destined; some still carrying their resting Digimon in their arms as they slept.

"Their is a cult based around Devil Fruits here in the Grand Line. It's called the Devil Cult; an organization based around the belief that those who have obtained a Devil Fruit are a chosen one, destined to find them and lead the cult into a new era. However, I heard a rumour a while ago that three men had disappeared, appearing on several islands since then and making a profit using their Devil Fruit abilities. Any passers by with a Devil Fruit power are approached by them with promises of vast fortunes, at the cost of joining their ranks." He explained, trying to shorten it as much as possible.

"Okay then, what's with them?" said Davis, pointing to several Marines on the beach with his free arm.

"They arrived a while ago. They're after you guy's and me." said Ace.

_**BBBBBZZZZZ-BBBBBZZZZZ-BBBBBZZZZZ**_

Looking for the source of the sound, the group looked over towards one of the Marines, Ace walking over and reaching into his pocket; finding a Den Den Mushi, activating it.

"_Report, what is your status, squadron 3?"_came a cold voice over the reception, Ace immediately realizing who it was; Commodore Smoker.

"Unconscious, sorry, but they tried to attack me and you know how it goes." His smugness was irradiating over the receiver, sending a cringe through Smoker's body as he clenched and laughed shrilly back at Ace.

"_Portgas D. Ace, I believe I have several of your comrades with me, so how about a deal?"_

"_Tai and those guy's..." _he thought silently, clenching his free fist and arching his brows. "What do ya' want, you smoky bastard?"

"_Come and surrender, or they will be executed outside of Ritorubiggu village. You have 3 hours to comply – __bbzzt!"_

What will become of the captured Destined if the 3 hour deadline is not met? Where and when will the tyrannical trio strike back at the intruders? And has Yolei finally realized her weakness? Find out next time in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

Please **Review!**

Well, the first real 'battle' of the story including the Destined didn't go much their way, showing them just how sharp and coherent their teamwork must be! If they had DNA Digivolved as they had planned, they may have stood a chance; but their emotions and adrenaline clouded their better judgement in the midst of battle.


	7. Horai Peninsula Alight!

Can it get any worse? Tai's Squad has been voluntarily captured, TK and the Digimon out of action, and Yolei seriously doubting her importance to the team. Ace has been given a condemning choice; surrender himself, or watch his comrades die as an example. Can they get out of _this_ tight predicament?

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**Horai Peninsula Alight!**

_Rittorubiggu Village_

"GET LOST, LAXUS!" cried an outraged mob, chasing the heavily wounded Giant back into the forest from whence he came. He carried in his bloodied arms a small amount of medicinal herbs and a large bandage specialised for the inhabitants of the Peninsula.

"Heavy Metal!" he barked, converting his freed arm into steel and plunging it through several trees to hamper his pursuers. After finally losing them amidst all of the excessive damage, he began to apply care and treatment to his wounds, wincing slightly at the almighty pain that shot through his body as he did it.

After several moments of this recycling process, he was finally done, his wounds now treated to the point of recovery and the large bandage across his chest stemming the blood flow and allowing him to focus into a plan to release his fellow Giants.

"_Thanks to ta' kids, I finally know how to hit Hitsuji!" _even in his thoughts, an ecstatic giggle overbeared his mind and forced a large smile on his face. _"But first... ta' Marines will be a problem, should I warn them or..."_

"Hey, you're that hero guy, right?"

Laxus turned around instinctively, preparing to activate his power until he came face to face with a child Giant, at least three times an average man's height with a dirty set of clothes on, his shoes completely worn to tatters and his small, rounded face framing a hooked nose and anguished eyes.

"Hero... used ta' be, kid." Laxus stated. "But I made a deal, an' abandoned ta' village for a short sighted reason, just look at ta' villagers, they all-"

"We're all counting on you." The child interjected.

Laxus looked up, stunned. Had the child _really _just said that?

"It's true! Even though the older ones hated you for the invasion, they couldn't help but forgive you when you left and fought for us." After finishing, he looked rather gawkingly at Laxus's wounds, amazed at the dedication he had shown for his people's freedom.

Laxus remained silent for a long moment, trying to regain his composure as the boy continued with grand tales of the Giant prodigy's bravery against Hitsuji and his cohorts. Some were indeed exaggerated, proclaiming that he was a match for the clay man, to which he silently scoffed in aggravated humiliation; he was _never _able to even strike him until today's battle revealing that he loses focus easily, leaving him open.

Exchanging farewells and good luck in the ongoing battle for Rittorubiggu, the child began to jog back to the village, singing a rather common child's song, encouraged by the Marines:

"_The pirate, Whitebeard, is scarier than the Devil!_

_Such power, even Pirate Kings aren't at his level!_

_Say your prayers, hope he tells no lies,_

_For Whitebeard might take your families lives!_

_Even the Earth trembles before his power,_

_Yet Justice and the Government will not cower!"_

"That's a foreboding thing ta' teach children..." Laxus responded, beginning to lift off the ground and stumble into the dense woodland in search of his new friends.

* * *

><p><em><span>Fisherman's Vessel<span>_

"...follow my orders exactly, and your friends will be saved. But I'll repeat it once more... should something happen, I order you all to _abandon _me."

"Ace..." Joe was baffled, such risk taken for people he only met and befriended a mere _two _days ago?

"Don't, you're my right hand man, and I order you to ensure everybody's safety should it come to that..." he trailed off towards the end, realizing the weight these words were placing on the group. If they listened to their feelings due to this, such a plan would be in vein. He walked away, silent wishes of good luck given as he finally vanished into the thick woodland, disappearing from sight. Yolei, however, had far different thoughts on her mind.

"_At least he's able to fight, I'm..."_

* * *

><p><em><span>Rittorubiggu: Outskirts<span>_

"**YOU'RE GOING TO WHAT!" **Tai bellowed as loud as he could at Smoker and several expressionless Marines, his hands confined in Sea Prism handcuffs as he was laid out in the middle of the intertwining path that lead to the village. His squad were laid out with him, TK having received basic treatment and still unconscious beside his brother, Matt.

"Portgas D. Ace is the _true prize _we seek, and one way to get him out is by using your executions as bait." The cold voice was riled like a viper, his cigars letting out a large puff as he finished.

"E-executions?" Kari whimpered, her sweet, innocent nature giving credence to her epithet as the 'Frail Maiden'. "But killing is wrong!"

"It's the way of the world; if kids like you confronted it without any thought or knowledge of the consequences and costs, you should've just stayed home."

Cody twigged at this, recalling a very similar message that the Digidestined had received on Davis's D-Terminal in the abandoned shack two days before._ "...__Lord Azulongmon will pull you back out of that world once he feels you have matured and have respected the workings and __**costs**__ of war..." _he repeated to himself silently.

"The hell did you just say, brat?" questioned a rather shady looking Marine beside Cody, kicking him without restraint when he tried to say 'nothing'.

"Hey, what're you doing, he's just a kid!" Sora screeched, watching anguished as Cody spat blood at the Marine's foot in a moment of anger, quickly regaining his innocent demeanour and apologizing, being met with flurry of kicks before Smoker told the Marine to stop or face the consequences.

"You Marines, you're just a bunch of cowardly bullies!" cried Kari, her fists clenched beneath the handcuffs as she growled venomously to ward off the attackers.

"We're soldiers of Justice, girl. Your deaths just aid in the ongoing struggle against monsters such as Ace and Roronoa Zoro." Came a distant voice, growing closer and closer and finally revealing a petite young woman with chin-length, dark blue hair and dark brown eyes beneath her glasses, a sleeved shirt with different colours and designs, but wore a blue leather coat with a furred collar and edge linings. Beside her jeans she held a sheathed katana tightly in her gloved fist.

"Tashigi, what took you so long!" Smoker barked, the woman flinching and beginning to form a cheesy smile.

"S-sorry, Commodore Smoker!" she yelled desperately. "I was just cleaning my Shigure!"

"The _sword?" _the previously cold and malevolent voice let out a warm and agitated sigh as he marvelled at the ditzy woman._ "'_Fire Fist' will be here in an hour or two, just be ready."

"YES, SIR!" she yelled, raising her free hand in a reverse salute to her superior officer, sitting beside the restrained children, doubtfully lying in wait for Ace. Silently, however, she wished that he would just surrender, as she wouldn't want to have to kill the children.

* * *

><p><em><span>Horai Peninsula<span>_

_Unknown Woodland area_

"Ta' kids, where are they?" Laxus queried himself, feverishly searching the area where his home once stood, feeling no more anguish at the ash pile. Although it was the older Giants that had set it alight and beat him, the children and elders still respected and awaited his victory over Hitsuji. It made him feel more reassured, even making his wounds natural pain fade.

"Greetings, my Giant friend. Have you seen a fellow known as Portgas D. Ace and his crew?" Laxus turned quickly to a stern and honourable voice, coming face to face with a man of some infamy, a well known name on the seas, a Shichibukai, in fact.

His yellow eyebrows and sideburns were distinctly shaped like those found on such demons as Oni, in addition to a bulb-like nose and an angular lower lip pointing upwards; a lightning-shaped scar could be seen from his left side burn and reaching over and across his left eye. He possessed long, two-toned black hair, with two long white stripes coming from the roots over his forehead and trailing down the back, a topknot, and tuft of hair on his chin with a dark hue. He wore a traditional red kimono and a pair of sandals, with his undergown opened in a V shape, revealing a large tattoo of the sun. This was the 'Knight of the Sea', Jimbei.

Unnerved at why such a presence was on the Peninsula and their business with his saviours, he converted both arms into steel, bracing himself in the event of a surprise strike.

"No, I'd rather not use force. Please just tell me where they are, I'd rather not force it out of a wounded fellow such as yourself." He stated flatly, concern on his wide face.

"A Fishman of ya' calibre wants to kill ta' kids who saved me from death itself?" his voice dropped low and shrill, "I think I'll take ma' chances."

"But I have no desire to -" noticing the Giant was too riled to listen, the Fishman let out a heavy sigh, looking almost apologetically at the Giant challenging him, his eyes fixated on the heavily bandaged wound on his torso and sighing once more, raising his webbed fingers in an indifferent gesture.

"Heavy Metal!" he bellowed, swinging his fists out and pulling the steel weights together as fast as he could to hit the Fishman with the force of two wrecking balls.

"Samehada Shoutei." Lifting both of his arms up to meet the attack, a sudden force pushed Laxus's arms back out, letting the Shichibukai inside as he jumped to the bandaged area and assumed a fighting stance in mid air, his right fist coiled to strike.

* * *

><p><strong>30 minutes remaining<strong>

_Rittorubiggu Village: Outskirts_

"...Tai..." Kari whimpered, staring at her boyfriend and the wound he had received on her behalf as she addressed the wildly auburn haired teen beside her.

"What is it, Kari?" her big brother inquired, somewhat distressed by her low tone.

"If we die –"

"Kari, don't think like that." He ordered timidly.

"Matt, are we going to die here?" Sora whispered softly, falling back into Matt's unsupporting chest, his hands clenched with discomfort at his girlfriend's question. Tai overheard this, turning to reassure Sora, however unable to face Matt and Sora together, falling silent as Tashigi and several Marines looked on with varying expressions.

"**NOT ON OUR WATCH!"** came a distant scream, revealing itself to be a heavily nervous Ken with a refreshed Wormmon beside him. He was standing in the treeline, awaiting the plan to continue as he stood his ground, his captured friends screaming for him to run.

"**Guys, are you okay?" **cried Mimi.

"_What is with the screaming...?" _pondered Smoker silently, keeping his grip tensed on the jutte's hilt, walking a slight distance toward his men.

"...wait!" yelled the approaching Smoker, staring at Ken as he walk toward him with his jutte clenched tightly, his gaze cold and fixated. "Ace must be near, so it's a faint!"

Ordering his men to spread out slowly to the trees surrounding the area, he awaited Ace's arrival and for his plan to come to light. Suddenly, he heard a horrific cry from one of his men, watching diligently as he shot through the air. Looking for the cause, he spotted Veemon jumping out of a hole he had dug in the ground, his cast iron forehead having knocked out the Marine.

"Is that a Zoan?" he inquired calmly, seemingly unfazed as his subordinate landed rather violently beside him and Tashigi; as she rose and unsheathed her katana, Shigure. "No... It's another one of _those_ things..."

"**Veemon, Digivolve!"** barked Davis, revealing himself on the opposite side of the forest, Ken ordering Wormmon to do the same as both Digivices began to glow.

"Veemon, Digivolve to... ExVeemon!"

"Wormmon Digivolve to... Stingmon!"

Looking side to side, Smoker understood the tactic; they were now in a pincer formation, a daunting prospect for two monsters, he thought to himself, noticing Tashigi beginning to show her clumsiness as she tripped over whilst investigating the fighting force they had left.

"Vee Laser!" ExVeemon yelled, releasing a beam from his chest in an X shape, not striking anyone directly, but creating a smokescreen as Mimi, Ken, Davis begun a veiled approach, grabbing the coughing captives and attempting to leave before they felt a powerful tug at their shoulders, Marines pulling them into human shield holds as they placed swords to their necks.

"Got them, Commodore." One stated proudly, shaking Mimi tauntingly as he awaited further orders. His grip was released after he felt a strong blow to the back of his head from Stingmon.

"You're all hot headed fools. Release them all now or you'll be struck in the smokescreen." Smoker jerked his head slightly, removing and lighting a cigar from his jacket and placing it in his mouth, unsurprised by the New Spade Pirates creativity.

"You guys!" the captives cried at once, almost breaking down into real tears as they saw the determination on their friends faces.

"Hawkmon, can you do it?" inquired Yolei, standing behind a tree with her partner.

"I can probably manage Armour Digivolving, Yolei." At this, the Digivice became illuminated in a brilliant red, transferring its energy and glow upon the small hawk Digimon.

"Hawkmon, Armour Digivolve to... Halsemon, the Wings of Love!" as the flash dissipated from his being, it revealed his new griffin like appearance, his now beaked face proudly bearing an iron mask with a heart insignia emblazoned in the centre of his head. His taloned feet now elongated out of his original fur, letting his old fur dangling at his sides like jacket sleeves.

"Tempest Wing!" he yelled, unleashing a blood crimson light to appear on his masked wings, firing them at several of the Marines feet and leaving a distinctive, small crevice from where the scythe like beam had struck, scattering the Marines beside it with the technique's explosively gale like fallout.

"White Blow!" at this, Smoker's thrusted fist converted into a thin veil of smoke that encircled the griffin Digimon in mid air, closing in rapidly and thickening as he slammed Halsemon mercilessly into the ground as Tashigi ran up to the captured Digimon with her katana raised, poised to deliver a killing blow.

This, however, was averted as her blade's course was ceased by a sword that intercepted hers. Following the blade down to its hilt and getting a look at the bearer of the weapon.

Smirking, she remarked, "So you grabbed a blade from one of the men, right, goggle headed pirate?" She was eye to eye with a slightly trembling Davis, who had grabbed the blade of his captor just seconds before Tashigi would've killed the immobile Halsemon. He was cursing himself, wishing he hadn't garnered the swordsman's attention, but he couldn't help the urge that pulled him towards them instinctively.

"The name's Davis." He stated proudly, disregarding any fear as he knew it was too late to pull back now, he decided to humour himself slightly, "just a quick warning, I bite."

"That so..." raising her blade from the gridlock, she swung to her right side and twisted her body archly, aiming a strike at Davis's open mid-section; being met with a quickly revised reverse grip that absorbed the energy from her strike and landed them in yet another stalemate. "Not bad... but can you keep up?" she scoffed slightly, already having guessed the answer.

As Davis knocked back the Shigure, he swung the blade almost elegantly back into his original grip, reeling slightly as he begun a parrying contest with the female Marine that left him a little more shaken with every blow he deterred, assuming a more poised stance and delivering correctly timed yet unpolished techniques, balancing out his deflections without discipline and going for heavy strikes.

"Davis! What're ya' doing!" belittled ExVeemon, shooting toward the small sword fight with his wings extended, gliding through the air, before he noticed Smoker coil his free fist, the other still consuming Halsemon on the ground with it's thick plume.

"White Vine," Smoker bemused, firing his smoke fist in a twisting motion at ExVeemon and hooking him tightly, turning his eyes back to Tashigi, noticing her excited smirk. "... that kid isn't half bad." Smoker seemed to enjoy the small scale battle, looking back at the Digimon. "Do **not** interfere." He stated with a frosty tone in his voice.

"Spiking Strike!" flying just as fast to Davis's aid, Stingmon was met by the jeers of the still conscious Marines as his purple blade approached Tashigi, who turned towards the Digimon with a stunned look upon her face as she managed to dodge the blow with barely a second to spare.

"Th-thanks!" Davis admitted, relieved that his small scuffle was over, yet still clinging excitedly to his sword and eyeballing Tashigi's disgusted stature. "But I think you pissed her off."

"Way to state the obvious, Davis." Ken reprimanded, resting his palm on his friend's shoulder and smiling slightly before he noticed Tashigi's small approach toward Smoker, who still held the other active Digimon, "Guys, where are the other Digimon being kept?" he asked politely.

"Those things are on our ship, they were sent there with a few Marines," Tashigi interjected, calm and collectively "but you'll never reach those creatures. If they were Zoans, they would have reverted back to their human forms when we slapped them with Sea Prism... but what we found out challenges common sense." She furrowed her brow, pointing her leather concealed finger at ExVeemon, "What are these things you called 'Digimon'?"

As Yolei was about to explain, Joe appeared from the tree's on the other side of the clearing, waving his hand in a reluctant gesture. He was not his usual, goofy and reliant self, but seemed distracted by something, his thoughts overbearing his mind.

"_If we get that woman away, Ace's plan should be completed..."_

Taking a few, brisk steps forward, Joe stared into the malicious eyes of Smoker. Taking a nervous final step, he gulped slightly and lifted his arms, conjoining them in a handcuffed gesture. "Take me... I'm the Vice Captain, but _please.._. spare them..." He struggled to restrain any stammering; his self confidence waning as the two Marines stared at him tentatively, unsure of the sudden development's legitimacy, one single thought crossing them both: _Is this guy for real? Just how obvious are these idiots?_

"_Come on, Joe... the plan's working! Just look at how distrusting they are!"_ thought the rescue squad, all watching Joe with convincing looks of shock they predicted the two to see through _instantaneously_.

"'Archimedes', what is the meaning of this?" Smoker said, uncaringly. After mulling it over a little more, he decided on his course of action. "Tashigi, go and cuff him."

"Y-yes... sir..." her brows were heightened, along with her confusion. What did Smoker hope to achieve? Taking a few steps toward Joe with Sea Prism cuffs in hand, she looked as the Destined's disbelieving eyes followed her.

"He's... taking the cover up bait?" Davis whispered deeply to himself.

"**Kasai no Yaei – Chi!"**

At this yell, six pillars of flame burst through the surrounding earth around Smoker, swirling and conjoining together in one large pillar that separated the clench attack on ExVeemon and Halsemon as they quickly raised themselves into the air, joining Stingmon in grabbing the captured Destined and soaring toward the ship, the other Destined beginning to chase after them.

"I can't believe it!" Izzy was enthused at the result of the plan. "But why did he take the bait we set up? He was supposed to discount it and attack us away from that woman!"

"He seemed smart... we've got to be careful, I think he may have his own strategy that _needed_ us to get away!" Ken yelled, his hand gripped firmly to Yolei's as he accelerated his speed. "Anyway, TK needs treatment and we need to get those cuffs off!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Fire Encampment<span>_

"I see... so by the time that thing had come out the ground, it had already dug tunnels around me with the tunnelling drowned out by the loud sounds of the kids squealing... and you used them to vent your fire at the right moment." Smoker theorised, his face still angered, his veins poignant on his forehead and his cigars still in his mouth. He didn't even seem surprised enough to bother raising his jutte.

As some of the flames that encircled him began to converge and take shape, Ace assumed physical form before him, his hat raised and his curious eyes revealed and a fighting stance already taken as he braced himself in a crouched state.

"... I know you're smarter than just letting them go while I stay... what have you got planned?" he asked with distain in his voice.

"Nothing special... at least not for _you_."

"**Tashigi! Go back to the ship with the men and guard the creatures!" **he yelled, his head looking upward the eye of the inferno storm.

Outside the blazing and crackling, faint stomps and trampling from the soldiers in another direction faded even more, until they disappeared.

"Portgas D. Ace," He spat, his smile wide and clenched to keep hold of his cigars "you may think _you've_ pinned _me_ down... but, in truth, you're mistaken. A Shichibukai is present, with orders to aid us in capturing... or _killing_ your little crew. As long as you're alive, the Fleet Admiral won't mind."

Ace smirked scandalously, rousing Smoker's ire. "I'm not worried... after Davis's little performance, they have to much potential to be caught by a Shichibukai. Not to mention the power of those little monsters... now..."

"Fire Fist!" thrusting his ignited fist forward with a stomp, he released his signature technique with no restraint, generating a burst comparable with a Giants fist.

"White Blow!" mirroring Ace, he thrust his knuckles forward, conflicting Ace's vast burst of embers with a thick cloud of smoke, intertwining with each other as one element tried to overcome another, whilst air pressure was pushing its way into the flame barrier, trying to escape.

* * *

><p><em><span>Forest Area: Near Ship<span>_

"Alright... g-guys, take a... quick breather if you n-need to." Joe wheezed, continuously keeping an eye out for any pursuers as they stopped. "You Digimon can break the handcuffs, right?" he breathed a little easier.

"Of course! After we get the cuffs off, me and Stingmon'll head over to that ship where the others are." At this, the two placed down the restrained Destined, placing their index fingers on the Sea Prism cuffs and applying a sudden force, breaking the handcuffs one by one as Davis stared at TK's half dead being with a blank expression.

After a quick explanation of TK's current state, the others looked down at him with respect and distress in their eyes, Kari turning red and building tears as she recalled what had happened before she fainted. Hidan about to kill her, TK jumping in the way and...

"TK!" cried Kari, clambering over to the injured youth with tears streaming down her face. "I'm s-so s-s-sorry!" she was light crimson, embracing TK's head gently as she cradled him in her knees.

Davis leaned by a tree, unsure of what to think. His rival had genuinely taken risk in Kari's place, and he wasn't sure if he had that kind of courage... maybe he was worthy of a small amount of respect, not for the way he had acted before, but for what he had risked for her.

"TK..." he mumbled lightly to himself, "...don't die on us, you hear?"

"Davis, by the way." Matt rose from his brother's side, looking at the auburn haired teen before him with some intensity in his gaze, "That was some great swordplay... can you teach us older kids?"

"About that... I'm –"

**BOOM!**

Looking back over at the direction they had just been escaping, Sora and Mimi seemed concerned with the ensuing battle. "Will Ace be okay?" they asked softly.

Joe fell silent, clenching and grinding his teeth as he looked away from the flames with shame and sorrow in his eyes, hidden by his lenses illuminating and the transparency fading out into a pure red hue.

"Listen, you should know captain's orders are indisputable... well, he ordered us to 'grab them and leave... if I don't catch up, leave me behind.'" Izzy was looking away with some shame, not wanting to look at the others faces as they learned that someone intended to die for them.

"..." A long silence followed, some had their eyes closed and prayed for their newest friend to pull through, hoping he hadn't made _that _sacrifice for them. Kari was the sole exception to this, still crying with her boyfriend cradled neatly on her knees.

"Stingmon, let's go grab the others. Halsemon, guard them." ExVeemon seemed revitalised after hearing everyone was doing fine; heading high into the air with Stingmon and scanning the Peninsula coast for a Navy ship.

"Over there!" Stingmon stated, his focused eyes fixated on a blotch in the sea, illuminated by Ace's prison technique. It had the shape of a ship, its silhouette almost unmistakable to the bug Digimon.

"Okay, lets go!" his dragoon friend yelled, beginning a hasty flight path toward the ship with the intent of rescuing everyone held captive on board; Gatomon, Armadillomon and a distraught Patamon.

"Guys, we should go –"

"_Go where?" _cackled a cold voice, reeling in closer and closer until it revealed itself among rustled leaves as the man who had viciously attacked Joe's squad before; Hitsuji.

"Not you again..." Yolei grumbled, trying her best to hide her fear after the last time she was face to face with him.

"Who's he?" Tai inquired, his brows lowered and his eyes focused.

"He's the boss of some big trio cult here. He bullies the group of Giants into paying him tribute with his Logia abilities." Izzy exclaimed.

"Another Logia?" Matt retorted, letting out a nervous sigh, relieved that Hitsuji at least looked a little saner than Hidan did.

"Another? There's _another_ one?" Davis asked, but Matt waved it off as something of little importance at the moment.

"Arcillia Cannon." He sighed, releasing the hollow clay projectile at Halsemon once more from his lunging fist, being met with a furious kick from the Digimon's hind legs that shattered the thick sphere with a resounding smash.

"You think that'll work on me when I'm on guard?" Halsemon berated, spiteful of his previous defeat at the power of Hitsuji's attack, this time being strong enough to destroy it; his new found physical ability attributed to the fact he was Armour Digivolved.

"So... that little hawk thing changed, did it?" the Logia user responded excitedly, "If that's so... let me humour you a little..."

"Nendo Kuron." Raising his two fists in the air, he summoned clay piles that fell from his opening palms onto the ground, beginning to swirl and take form before the Destined as Hitsuji cackled madly, twisting his palms and upturning them, summoning four additional clones of himself to take form and laugh with him.

"That again..." Yolei mumbled, unsure of how she felt at the moment; scared or just a little shaken.

"Yolei, I'll protect you." Halsemon stated reassuringly, fixating his proud, brilliant blue eyes on his lavender haired partner and filling her with a self confident gaze. "And do you really think clones stand much of a chance?"

"Well, who knows?" the demented man chuckled slightly, his grin large and his wrinkles intense as he squinted at the Digimon, "Maybe if you didn't lose so quickly..." his arrogant sarcasm was disrupted by Halsemon kicking him in the gut, passing through the liquid clay body and gaining a makeshift weight that dried quickly on the leg with great density. The digital representation of love grunted and scowled at the clone he had just kicked, clenching his claws within the weight and smashing it.

"Halsemon..." the group silently whimpered.

* * *

><p><em><span>Horai Peninsula: Unknown Forest Location<span>_

"Please! Just tell me the direction!" pleaded Jimbei, shaken at the blood he now had splattered on his hands, looking down at a barely conscious Laxus, his mouth seeping with blood and his chest wound now reopened slightly from the Fishman's assault.

"I-I got more in ta' tank..." he rasped, coughing heavily and wincing upon the ground.

"Please, just tell me! I have no intention of hurting them!" the husky Shichibukai begged.

"W-why should I-I... trust ya'?" he managed to heave, his voice lowering to a shrill utterance, "Why else would a... Shichibukai w-want to see ma' saviours?"

"Saviours...?"

"They saved ma'... from death. A-a common Giant!" he was smiling devilishly now, tears forming in his eyes as he wisped to the bulky half-man beside him, who simply opened his mouth, yet the gaping hole managed no words as he listened to the prone Giant, crying as he lay upon the ground, "Y-your the light for your own race... ya' must get w-where I'm comin' from... r-regular human's... _**aren't all self centred!"**_

Jimbei stared on, the outburst of the wounded Giant before him piercing into his mind; his understanding of the Giant's proclamation making Jimbei happy, as this is what he wanted for his own race; _**cooperation with humans.**_

"My friend... are humans... capable of understanding people like you and me?"

"I know it's hard ta'... believe at first... but I am living p-proof of ta' kindness... human's showed!" he rose his hazy eyes, catching a glance of Jimbei's impartial expression, like he was in deep, meditative thought, "P-please... help them... d-don't..."

His eyes glazed over, the iris fading into the immense purity of his eyes as he slowly lost consciousness again, a darkness overbearing his vision and finally consuming him as Jimbei stared on, his previous expression somewhat altered.

"Rest well, my friend..." he said, turning away and spotting the towering inferno not to far from him, "Ace..." hearing another loud crash, he spotted a griffin like creature flying above the trees, a brownish substance tracking it. "So... these friends of Ace's are the hope of inter-special relations... I wonder what I'll do, when I have found them; follow my orders, or follow the path to the future..." his husky yet volatile voice was shaken, as he realised that no matter what choice he made, his people would suffer. As he walked toward the apex of the two battles, he wondered; _Which is easiest on my people? Time for these seeds to sprout, or my position as Shichibukai?_

* * *

><p><em>To be continued...<br>_

What will Jimbei choose? What will become of Ace and his selfless sacrifice? What will become of the Digimon and Halsemon before the proven might of Hitsuji? Where are Hidan and the shady figure, Montague Kama? And most importantly, can ExVeemon and Stingmon recover the reinforcements needed to combat and escape the Horai Peninsula? Find out next time, in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

Please **Reveiw!**

**A/N: **Well, a _lot _happened in this chapter, as a pace was required to move forward with the tale, not to mention I couldn't stretch everything out for a chapter each at this point.

All arcs have been written down for reference, occurrences planned for later alteration and some original characters down, along with Devil Fruits and possibly some filler pirate crews!

Also, I have finished my final Exam for 2011, and Coursework is behind me for now, so it'll be full speed ahead (hopefully) until Christmas!

Also, Kasai no Yaei – Chi is the Japanese equivalent of Flame Encampment, a type of prison in given examples to restrain people, in this case Smoker.


	8. Pandemonium Part 1

The stage has been set, and the cards laid on the table. There is no escape for the Destined this time, battle is inevitable! But with only one already injured Digimon present, can they fend off the attackers until their partners are retrieved?

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**Pandemonium: Part 1**

**Yolei's Internal Struggle!**

_Forest Area: Near Ship_

"**Tempest Wing!**" came a vengeful cry, unleashing a familiar scarlet blast at Hitsuji, who simply side stepped the blade like energy attack, even whistling mockingly at the slash mark left upon the ground.

The group stared on intently, unflinching at the explosions and distorted wind bursts as Halsemon was desperately trying to not only fend of Hitsuji and his clones, but buy time for ExVeemon and Stingmon to return with reinforcements.

"Halsemon..." Yolei whimpered, staring at her trembling partner as he landed, evidence of his wounds becoming clearer and clearer as he continued his frivolous efforts against Hitsuji and the clones, "If I was just a little stronger, he could go Champion and maybe even Ultimate-Level and have an even chance, but this..."

"**Dauntless Twister!**" her partner shouted as he lifted off once more, beginning to pivot in the air and glow red. Suddenly stopping the motion, he released all the gathered energy in a spiral blast at his foes, all of whom stood still, not even flinching in the face of the attack as the scarlet bombardment landed and created a large explosion.

"D-did he...?"

"No, Davis... I can still feel the chill from here..." Joe interjected with hazed lenses hiding his eyes.

"M-maybe we should run!" Mimi cried from beside Izzy, her hand lightly clenched within Izzy's hand as she seemed to draw into herself by lifting her free hand to her face.

"No point... there's still that paper guy that Tai's team told us about... and _him_..." he quickly retorted, not even bothering to look back at Mimi.

"Him?"

"Don't tell me you forgot, Mimi. That cloaked guy who beat two Champion-levels with a single kick."

"Not to mention he didn't even get any damage from ExVeemon's blast, even though it should have burned him at the very least..." Izzy added nervously as he watched Halsemon receive a devastating kick from two of the four clay clones, Hitsuji watching like a spectator rather gleefully at the blood curdling cry this attack had aroused.

"...!" Tai's hazel eyes suddenly focused into slits, remembering a very strange occurrence during the battle between Smoker and Hidan, _"Maybe the paper guy's out of commission after... but why did he get those burn wounds? Was it something this cloaked guy the others met did?" _

"**Gyaah!" **

"Halsemon!" Yolei cried, as time seemed to halt for a briefest of moments, her eyes swelling and becoming wider as tears began to stream lightly down her face; watching her brutally injured partner let out a scream of pain whilst he was attacked at once from all five sides by Hitsuji and his clones using the Arcillia Cannon technique, compacting him and reverting him back to Hawkmon as the spheres smashed under Hitsuji's absolute command over the clay.

"H-he's been beaten..." Cody stated in a low voice, gaining a scornful look from Yolei before she began to run over to her partner, being stopped in her tracks by Tai and Matt, swinging unsuccessfully at their chests with her tightly clenched fists, finally calming down after Sora also ran over to them and began comforting her.

"Well, well!" Hitsuji's giggling voice was like a stab to Yolei's heart, multiplied by the united laughter of the clones as they became liquid clay once more, breaking down and reforming into the original's body. "That was just goddamn dishonourable!" he cackled coldly.

Yolei let out a small screech and recommenced her struggling with the two boys restraining her, watching as Hitsuji slammed his foot on Hawkmon's head, applying increasing pressure on the immobile creature that lay beneath him and taking pleasure in hearing the screams he let out as the Digidestined stared on with disgust at the Logia user's sadistic nature.

"**You're sick!"** Kari bellowed with distain and frost in her voice, still cradling TK's unconscious body in her knees as she shivered at Hawkmon's loud, piercing scream of pain.

"I am **chosen**..." he barked maliciously, staring through Kari's terrified expression and almost completely straight into her fragile soul, "you're like my mother, you know... she thought I was a monster too, and she tempted my father into trying to kill me..." he let out another, yet somehow different smile, it was a lot colder and intent as he lightened the pressure on his victims head slowly, "but that silly bastard learned the hard way, didn't he? Just as Hidan and Kama's fathers did..."

"...y-you killed your own fathers?" she growled lightly, "what's wrong with you people?"

"_Nothing really, we're just forsaken children," _

Turning to the voice emanating from behind her, Kari looked up at a gargantuan man, cloaked with his hood pulled back, revealing the heavy scar on his face that wrinkled awkwardly as he scowled down at her with his clenched fists at his sides.

"That's him! The cloaked guy!" Davis cried, raising his sword tentatively and bracing, ready to run over to Kari and TK's side if things turned bad.

"Our families were bigger beasts than us. Constant beatings, paranoia, bullying and eventually even attempts on our lives. My scar is proof of my father's plans, as he came after me one day with a knife, and my false metal foot proof of his second attempt, in which I retaliated," Kama smiled slightly, his eyes squinted and his eyebrows raised, "but after he carved my face, I grew angry, and when he sliced my foot, I grabbed another knife and plunged it into his twisted heart as my act of affection. I and my two friends never had any love. Love, after all, is naught but a gamble."

"A... gamble...?" Cody grumbled softly, Ken standing beside him being the only one who understood what Kama was talking about, thanks to his isolation from other people due to the Dark Spore.

"Think about it, do kids born into providence ever have the same way of thinking as kids who live, breathe and die in warzones? Do any of you consider the point of view of people who are labelled as 'deplorable' by society? Here's one for you, girlies. Do you ever consider anybody you don't admit to as being attractive into you're little ring of friends, even though some of them have much better morals and standards than others?"

A long moment of awkward silence passed, the girls especially looking away in shame, like Kama was unveiling them to the public for who they really were, instead of the mask they usually would rather prefer to have worn.

"...thought not. Love is a powerful example of this, as people hated and feared by the entire world such as Whitebeard have a small band of people who adore him, yet are overlooked by the vast majority. You kids seem spoiled, so I'll ask you, do you ever think of less fortunate kids?"

Another moment of awkward silence passed, Tai opening his mouth, et the gaping hole managing no utterance, only stagnant breathing.

"...really, do any of you know love at all? And back to the girlies. These innocent girls and boys dictated by fate to look slightly less attractive to you, and what do you do? Put them down like dogs, even though they could be better people overall than these friends of yours here. Such is the power of fate's gamble. Do you deny any of it?" he seethed rather distastefully.

"Listen, I don't know what you've been through in your lives, but is that really a reason to terrorize a peace loving group of Giants?" Izzy inquired with sympathetic scolding in his tone.

"That's exactly the reason they are our money pigs. They enjoy peace, whereas we endured hell back home, being force fed our Devil Fruits as a type of sick satisfaction and becoming feared because of it. The Devil Cult understood our pasts and ideals, and for a time, it was a lucrative partnership, up until we became banished men because of killing another member of the cult who insulted our pasts and deemed his Devil Fruit superior. Didn't exactly serve him well, did it?" he and Hitsuji now wore increasingly large grins, his more pronounced due to the awkwardly placed scar on his cheek that struggled to maintain the sinister smirk.

"No, it didn't." His old friend stated obligatorily with the sneering smile still growing.

"By the way, Hitsuji, what is that bird thing you're crushing under your foot?" the tall, husky voiced man inquired, his cloak now being blown open by the gust trail from Ace's battle, revealing his heavily scarred arms and typical grey button shirt, tucked neatly into his sash with long, baggy jet black cargo pants stretching down to and partially covering his black boots.

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten... glasses chick, you want this thing back, don't you?" at this, he removed his foot gently from Hawkmon's head, and with a sudden scream had kicked the barely conscious Digimon without restraint, shooting him passed Yolei's shoulder and almost into a tree behind her, until Davis sprung up and caught him, suffering a terrible winded feeling as he gently handed him back to her and picked his sword back up off the ground.

"Good reflexes... for a half pint bastard." The clay man cackled, his leg still raised from kicking the Digimon as if he was savouring the moment.

"Hey, sadist, calm down. We're not tyrannical monsters, remember, Head?" his partner belittled coldly, as if the previous few moments of fellowship had never occurred.

"We're not monsters?" he scowled, "you are in no position to act all high and mighty, did you forget what you did to Hidan?"

"No, but he's recovering fine. He just overreacted because he's used to his Logia defences... kinda like you, Head."

"How can they just argue out of the blue like this?" Mimi scoffed lightly, wincing as another bellowing explosion came from the inferno tower behind her.

* * *

><p><em><span>Marine Ship<span>_

"Everyone, be ready for when those monsters come!" Tashigi barked, ordering her subordinates to ready cannons and prepare formations for the Digimon she predicted would come, thinking of them as simple monsters due to her lack of information, and the fact that they were _not_ Zoans, as previously explained by Vice Admiral Dalmatian's report.

"Sergeant Major! Up in the sky!" yelled one of the soldiers.

"They're here!" he yelled, pointing her gloved hand toward the cannon squad aboard the ship, **"OPEN FIRE!"**

At her behest, the port side cannons began a ceaseless barrage of firing at ExVeemon and Stingmon, the two flyers immediately taking evasive manoeuvres in the face of several sporadically firing cannonballs, one skimming just past Stingmon's face and making him gasp with fright, instinctively picking up his pace and flying from side to side, his friend following his lead.

"**Vee Laser** –"

"No, ExVeemon!" the bug Digimon yelled, "Your attack will injure them, allow me to handle the cannons!" he said, raising his right arm and tightly clenching his fist.

"**Spiking Strike!**" his arm suddenly obtained the purple blade extended from his wrist section, as he increased his speed exponentially and plunged the energy weapon through all of the cannons in a swift motion, an explosion following that pushed many of the soldiers overboard as Tashigi stared on, gobsmacked at the power of the bug Digimon.

"Let's go!" ExVeemon bellowed as he devolved into Veemon and landed on the deck of the ship, Stingmon being assigned instinctively to guard the entrance into the ship whilst the small reptilian searched for and freed their friends.

* * *

><p><em><span>Below Deck<span>_

After several feverish moments of frantic searching, the small reptile found a cell room, one open and rusted heavily at the hinges, and the one beside it sealed and seemingly rusted shut. Peering inside, he garnered a positive result, spotting Armadilomon, Patamon and Gatomon almost instantly at the further most corner with small shackles usually applied for children being placed snugly around their ankles.

"Veemon!" Gatomon cried ecstatically, making his heart race for a brief second before,

"Veemon, pardner!" was Armadillomon's announcement in his usual husky tone, making his heart rate slow down dramatically.

"Where'sh Patamon... and what happened to you guys?" he responded light heartedly, smiling an innocent smile to try and lighten the tense mood.

"He's been silent ever since TK was hit by a really powerful guy..." the feline retorted back, the reptilian standing on the opposite side of the cell bars with a concerned frown build upon him, being interrupted by a loud crash from above.

"Lishten, TK, Kari and Cody are with the others now! Halsemon is with them, but we need to hurry!"

"But, Veemon, how did you get them back?" she yelled back impatiently.

"Long shtory, in short, thank Ace... I'll explain along the way..." he said, crouching and trailing off toward the end.

"**Vee Headbutt!**" he yelled, jumping with unbelievable force into the brittle bars and smashing them in an effortless motion, immeadiatly running over to the short leashed shackles around his friends legs and noticing rust building on them as well, gaing a sneer as he clenched his muscles and after a long, painful moment of determination tugging at the latch around her ankle, broke Gatomon's chain open and freed her leg. He then proceeded to do the same for the other two allies, taking a moment to reassure Patamon about his partner's survival, and how he was needed by him and everyone else.

* * *

><p><em><span>Marine Ship<span>_

"Let's see if this technique works on this monster..."

"**Kamaitachi!**" Tashigi screamed, dealing a heavy slash to the air in front of her, the distorted air waves converting into a slight silver hue as it pushed forward, becoming a small slash that travelled from her body and blade, however simply being punched by an in flight Stingmon into recession as the air broke up and the silver slash faded into small flares that quickly faded, the young woman staring on with a scowl, "Damn it... I really wasn't ready to use it in real battle yet..." she said with a heavy panting and heaving breast, barely able to hold her blade after the energy exuded in the attack.

"Impressive, a human that can slash through the air?" the bug Digimon questioned with a happy tone, noticing behind Tashigi that Veemon and the other Digimon where now back on deck, ready for him to air lift them back to the others with haste.

"Sorry for this, girlie!"

"Huh?" she exclaimed, turning back intently, however feeling a large strike to the nape of her neck, as her light quickly faded and she fell face first upon the deck, unconscious along with all of her men that had challenged Stingmon.

"Nice one, Stingmon!" Veemon cheered happily, "Let's go before any of them wake up!"

"Grab on, everyone... and please don't pull the hair." He joked, lifting the group onto his broad shoulders as they latched on to the spike of his shoulder braces, hooking tightly as he begun to take off at high speed back in the direction of the Digidestined.

* * *

><p><em><span>Fire Encampment<span>_

"Ha...ha... not to... ha... bad there, Smoke man." Ace heaved heavily, showing the affects of the ensuing battle that shook the entire Horai Peninsula with every explosive blow from the two counteracting Logias. Although he naturally bore no scars and wounds due to his natural defences against the smoke and his dodging of the jutte he had realized was made of Sea Prism b touching it with his hand in one of the many exchanges, he had been going all out with his attacks, and as such had wasted his energy resources, shown by the inferno imprisoning Smoker becoming thinner and thinner with every blow.

"Ha...ha... Portgas D. Ace... your technique seems to be weakening... I'll escape her soon... and I will find those kids, if that Shichibukai hasn't found them yet..." the Commodore responded coldly, his previous callousness in smoking his long since burnt cigars vanished, and him panting just as heavily as Ace, but also with no wounds to be seen.

"Whatever, I have faith in them..." after having regained his breath, his memory took it away once more.

"What is it?" he spat agitatedly, tightly clenching the hilt of his jutte.

"What happened to those three from the Devil Cult?" he questioned tardily.

Smoker's eye's widened with realization, his memory of 'Rap Sheet' Hidan returning after having been cast away and filling him with rage filled dread; _"What if he's at the ship? Tashigi wouldn't last 5 seconds..." _He thought to himself, his irksome thoughts making his veins stick out on his forehead as he stared at Ace.

"Maybe... we should take a raincheck on this... at least until those three are taken care of... what do you think, Smokey?" he narrowed his black eyebrows at Smoker, "you're men and that woman cannot hope to handle them, and you'll be held responsible... so, stay here... or go." He proclaimed.

Smoker remained silent for a lengthy period of time, realizing how dangerous his decision could be. If he went, Ace may escape, but if he stayed, Tashigi and his entire platoon would be under the very real threat of being slaughtered by any of the three Devil Fruit users.

"...drop the inferno... the lives of my men are indispensible, and I can always just find you after I've checked..." he answered shrilly with frost in his voice, almost making the blaze seem that much colder as it vanished into the air, natural smoke and dust enshrouding both of the tired warriors from each others sights, until they each heard running from parallel directions; Ace toward his ship, Smoker to his.

"_Don't get overconfident, 'Fire Fist', I'll be right back and you had better be ready."_

* * *

><p><em><span>Forest Area: Near Ship<span>_

"H-hey... why did that towering inferno extinguish suddenly?" Hitsuji questioned rather nervously.

"I'm guessing the two came to some sort of impasse and put their fight on hold... 'Fire Fist' will be here soon..." Kama sighed.

"Maybe we could recruit him, he does have the power of Logia..."

"And then what; have another Logia attack us when our guard is down, stealing all our tribute with his crew?" his eyes became cold as he glared directly at the clay man, "after what happened a few days ago, I thought you would have learned..."

"_**My thoughts exactly, Kama. Although I still think your an asshole for earlier...**__" _

"Not him again..." Tai breathed deeply, recognizing the voice and the sudden gust of wind from his last altercation.

"Hidan Ryuuga... the guy that Commodore called 'Rap Sheet', with a bounty of 140 million..." said Matt.

"How did you remember all of that?" his girlfriend inquired softly from beside him in the clearing.

"They have bounties too... and he hit TK..." he responded as softly as he could, but still sounding aggravated as he spoke. As he finished, sheets of paper appeared from the scattered treeline, converging beside Hitsuji and reforming into Hidan, although this time he wore neither a captain's coat or shirt, revealing his unimpressive abdominals that were covered graciously by heavy bandaging, extending from his chest to his low torso, and also around his head with two strands of bandage hanging free in the wind.

"Ghh... get... away... from Yolei!" Hawkmon cried maliciously, struggling to regain his feet and stand in front of Yolei; his eyes glazed over and his body still affected by the five sided attack he had suffered before.

"Oh! He's awake!" Hitsuji cried hysterically, laughing mockingly at the Digimon's display of bravery in the face of a three way group of Devil Fruit users, with one's ability still a mystery...

"Listen... just back off." The giant Kama rasped belittlingly at the hawk.

"N-no... Y-Yolei, please let me D-Digivolve... **GACK**!" he coughed heavily, coughing up real blood, to the shock of the Digiestined.

"H-he can bleed?" Mimi whimpered from behind Izzy.

"This isn't the Digital World, it's the world of dreams... he's physically there! He can be killed and not broken into data here!" her crush bellowed tentatively, starting to make sense of why the Digimon seemed to struggle to evolve, and why they gained real wounds like a human, "they also use too much energy here... it's like they're Digivolving for the first time, even with the Digi-Core's power!"

"H-Hawkmon! Please s-stop it!" the bespectacled, lavender haired girl snivelled and cried, unreservedly worried at the information that he can die in that world for good. Ken ran over to her and held her tightly in his arms, looking proudly at the girl's brave young partner, whilst over cries for him to just back down resounded throughout the dense woodland, Davis readying his posture for intervention with his sword, seemingly aware of the action's futility.

"**DAVISH!**" came a loud voice, seeming to have emanated from the sky.

"Veemon?" he said, smiling wider and wider as Stingmon carried the other Digimon closer and closer; he and the other conscious new Digidestined raising their Digivices swiftly, only Yolei and Ken not following suit as they held each other and TK still out cold in Kari's care, as she lifted her Digivice as well, Kama looking on curiously from behind her. Within a second of raising them, they began to glow brilliantly in varying colours.

"Here it comes ~" Hidan chuckled madly, his sadistic smile growing more and more as the illuminated beings approached from the air.

"This _again_...?" Hitsuji sighed, readying his liquidated arm for combat.

"**Digi Armour Energise!**" the kids cried in unison.

"**Armadillomon, Armour Digivolve to... Digmon, the Drill of Power!**"

"**Gatomon, Armour Digivolve to... Nefertimon, Angel of Light!**"

"**Veemon, Armour Digivolve to... Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!**"

As the flash faded, leaving flare like energy traces surrounding the newly evolved Digimon, Nefertimon circled around the area cautiously, whilst Digmon and Flamedramon jumped downwards directly, the creature of fire performing a semi-somersault and upturning; his head now directly in line with Kama, the closest to any of the kids.

"**Fire Rocket!**" he yelled, generating a powerful aura of flame as he gained speed and seemed to strike lucky, directly striking Kama, his left palm was the only thing raised to attempt a defence as an explosive gust of wind and dust shrouded the two.

"He got him! That guy's gotta be fried!" Davis cheered triumphantly, with the others staring on in disbelief at the ease in which Kama was defeated, not even moving out of the way of the attack and just raising his left hand.

"**That hurts like a bitch! Kama, you false footed** **bastard!**" Hidan screamed, clutching at his uncontrollably shaking hand as blood and smoke encased his entire left arm, char wounds lining his fingers and a horrific dent forcibly seared into his palm.

Sora, Mimi and Kari squealed at the sight of this horrifying injury and began to scream at the top of their lungs, covering their eyes as they all tried to get the image out of their minds.

"Kari, pass TK to me, we need to move!" looking up through a small opening in her fingers, she spotted Davis, also covering his mouth with the other holding the sword he obtained from the Marines. Before she could even attempt an argument, Davis grabbed TK swiftly and gently, placing his arm over his neck and keeping hold of him, Kari eventually helping in moving TK by grabbing the other side. Patamon suddenly hovered before them with tears in his eyes, relieved to see TK was alive as he perched on his shoulder and pretended to help drag him along to the others.

"Again...?" Matt whispered softly, "so last time was because of him!"

"But... Flamedramon had to have –"Tai was cut off mid-sentence, his mouth wide open and his eyes gawking in disbelief as he looked over quickly to spot the dust shroud dispersing, revealing Kama fending off Flamedramon with his unaffected palm, the warrior of flame planting his feet in the hand quickly and kick-starting a swift retreat jump to the other Digimon and the Digidestined.

"What..._ is_ that ability?" he slowly muttered, staring back at the gigantic man with disbelief evident on his face.

"It has to be something to do with redirecting damage," the red haired technical genius began to theorise, "he seems solid unlike the other two... so he must be one of those Paramecia class users Ace told us about..."

"Very good, kid... pretty observant, aren't you? No wonder your worth 22 million berries, even though you look so scrawny, 'Enlightened One'." The cloaked man coldly encouraged, "but half the fun of a battle with an ability user is figuring out every small detail of the power. If you can manage to injure me, I'll tell you the name of my Fruit. A large hint for a good battle, don't you agree, monsters?"

A long moment of silence and deafness befell the group, as they all knew that there was no way out now; it was fight or die. But the silence seemed thicker as Nefertimon approached the trembling Hawkmon, placing her paw gently on his bloody head, "Buy me some time and I'll try to heal him." She said.

"Do your best, I think we'll be needin' him more than we realize!" Digmon yelled back, his thick Texan accent lightening the warning as he spoke.

"No, wait!" Ken yelled, "Yolei, remember what I said yesterday about the Digivice functions? Point your Digivice at him and say 'Hawkmon, storage!', if you do that, he'll rest and recover quickly in the Digivice!"

"O-okay..." she sniffed, pointing her red and white D3 at the injured Digimon as Nefertimon moved back quickly, "Hawkmon, storage!" she yelled, her voice a little stronger than before.

At this, her partner's body began to break down into a fractal code and streamed into the device, his sleeping face appearing on the screen as she held it close to her heart, Ken comforting her as she nearly broke down out of worry once more.

"Everyone, attack all three at once!" Tai ordered, deciding to take responsibility as leader of the Digimon for the moment until Yolei and Ken rejoined them.

"**Fire Rocket!**"

"**Gold Rush!**"

"**Spiking Strike!**"

"**Boom Bubble... pah!"**

"**Rosetta Stone!**"

**Crash! Boom! Ba-shaa!**

The attacks split all three directions, leaving destruction in their wake as explosive devestation raged without mercy at the ground on which the three occultists once stood.

Looking up in expectation for the three, Flamedramon noticed the cloaked figure of Kama seemingly hovering in mid air as he looked down with excitement at the group.

"**Arcillia Cannon!**" yelled the familiar voice, firing the also familiar spherical projectile through the thick smoke and flames toward him, to which he engulfed his right claw with flames and thrust forward with the imbued fist, smashing directly through the attack and shattering it into several miniature pieces, spotting Hidan approaching rapidly from the former blind spot.

"Oh Shi-" Flamedramon managed to yell before a bulky figure stood before him and crossed his arms across his chest.

"**Gold Rush!**" the large silhouette bellowed, revealing himself as Digmon, firing his drills like missiles and deterring Hidan's course, forcing him to side step as he also slashed his unscorched arm across his chest like a sword whilst in paper form.

"**Kami Shuta!**" he scowled, his anger surging along with his pain as he flung several sheets of paper at the beetle like monster, who was repaid by Flamedramon as he jumped over his friend and fired several scorching shots at the paper, burning them to ashes as the enraged Logia stared almost distractingly at the group, but averting his glare unrelentingly at the now landing Kama, who stood mere feet away from him in the smoke and flame surrounded forest battleground.

"That was awesome! So fast!" Davis yelled out excitedly, receiving a courting smack to the back of his head from Sora, who was hooked securely onto Matt's arm.

"That was _pathetic_, we were on a role, as well..." the cloaked man laughed coldly at Hidan, raising his ire further.

"It's because of you burning my hand like a cowardly little bitch!" he chided, "choose a _different_ target, or you'll be down one 'ally'." his voice thickened at the last word, as if the mere utterance sickened him.

"A target? That helps a little... he needs a target for his powers!" Izzy stated, the boys looking puzzled as the girls found it hard to look at the furious foe's horrific burn injury.

"See what you've let slip, dumbass?" he grinded his teeth, the scar across his face contorting awkwardly and making him squint heavily at his right eye and pronounced nose. "Now I'll make it even... hey since he gave you a hint, I'll give you one for his powers; he can't turn into paper if fire and water are thrown onto him."

"Will you mental challenged bastards shut up?" Hitsuji barked furiously, "honestly, you used to beat the crap out of each other as kids, grow up!"

"T-they're like an anti-family..." Joe whispered non-chalantlely, having a rather comically surprised face that managed to make Sora laugh slightly beside Matt.

"Because they never really had a family to begin with..." Kari stated with a small, weak voice that seemed to fade as she held TK. This rendered Joe and the others silent, as the former occultists horrifying past of torturous agony seemed to faze the naturally pure and gentle girl.

"**SHUT UP, PRICK!**" Hidan yelled back at his leader, still having tunnel vision because his rage, "I know, just... stay out of my way." He spat lowly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Head." Kama responded, unfazed by his so called 'ally's' threat.

The Digimon all stared on from their individual fighting postures and stances, trying to comprehend how such an unorganized and untrusting unit could possibly work together as fluently as they had, even without Kama's involvement, which they theorised would strengthen the fighters 'unity' and teamwork further. It was the complete opposite of the tightly knit unit of Digimon that trusted each other implicitly, and yet they were no better off due to it, still being evenly matched by the coherency of their opponents.

"Ready, set ~..."

"**GO!**" the paper man screeched madly.

"**Arcillia Cannon!**" Hitsuji yelled once more, resorting yet again to using his signature technique.

"Doesn't this guy have any other tricks, geez..." Flamedramon sighed heavily, repeating the same process for before as he imbued his claw with intense heat and smashed through the projectile, almost expecting Hidan to come running up to him again.

But Hitsuji sneered and cackled deeply, "**Arcillia del Dragon!**" he spat, quite literally, as liquid clay flowed out of his mouth through the air, gaining size and shape as it now vaguely resembled a wyvern style dragon's face with an elongated liquid body, letting out a sloppy roar before it began it's descent, his two allies immediately beginning to sweat and jumping out of the way as the attack began careening straight for the unsuspecting group of Digimon and Digidestined.

"**Flaming Fist!**" Flamedramon exclaimed, bracing his hind legs and slamming his tail upon the ground for extra support, as he thrust his ignited claw forward and mimicked almost perfectly the 'Fire Fist' technique Ace frequented.

As the gargantuan burst collided with the dragon technique, Flamedramon immediately noticed and struggled with the immense kinetic force of the clay, never ending as it almost came in like a tide to support the living model against the defensive strike of fire. All of the Digidestined audibly cheered him on, even Yolei after see begun to regain her composure, however, the warrior began to be pushed back, the clay overbearing him slowly but surely, as everyone fell silent and winced.

"**G-Gold Rush!**"

"**Rosetta Stone!**"

The two Armour's attacked nervously with all of their might, yet watching as their physical, non elemental strike became absorbed by the towering clay dragon, which once more let out a sloppy roar at the attempt.

"H-he's gonna hit us!" Joe cried, instinctively rushing over to TK in a vain attempt to cover both him and Kari from as much damage as possible until...

A sudden, concentrated blast of swirling fire glowing brilliant gold outlined by light orange embers collided into the clay along with Flamedramon's blow, overpowering and smothering the dragon, making it solidify and crumble and collapse before the Destined, who turned around to the source to spot their captain, Ace with his palm thrust before him, whilst he stood in a sideways sumo stance, his other fist preparing for another blast beside his knife.

"**ACE!**" they all announced in unison, joy overcoming them and chisling wide smiles on all of their faces, even Yolei and the distressed Kari.

"So... that's how intense the heats gonna have to be to get past your Logia defences... prepare to become a living piece of art, your face will look good solidified with an expression of terror." He yelled coldly with a demented smirk on his face, veins appearing on his brow to emphasise his anger at that particular moment.

"_**Bring it on.**_" Hitsuji spat back with venom, bracing for his new, actually threatening opponent.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

Can Ace finally prove a threat to the seemingly invincible Hitsuji? How bent toward killing has the disgusting past of the three 'friends' made them? What **is** Kama's ability, and why is it only affecting Hidan at the moment? Find out next time, in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

A/N: This was a fun chapter to make, as I really, really enjoy writing battle scenes!

Jimbei and Smoker, what could I have in mind with those two on the island in mind? Well, I'm trying to tie it in with the anime/manga without great variation except where necessary, and a strange thing appeared that I intend to explain in this arc.

Also, sorry to any Hawkmon fans who may not have liked the beating he received. But the reader must know that the Digimon** cannot** immediately Digivolve to the higher levels without natural progression, as it is a different world and they needed weakening.

Please **Review **and tell me what you liked and disliked about the battle scenes and the story so far in general. Much appreciated.


	9. Pandemonium Part 2

The battle has commenced, and after the first round, it's safe to say that Hitsuji's gang possesses the power and teamwork to not only defeat, but _crush _the Digidestined, if they could manage to get along for 5 minutes. However, the situation has taken a turn in the kids' favours as Ace has arrived on the scene, openly challenging Hitsuji to a fight. Can he do it?

A/N: I have recently enjoyed Kanius's fantastic Digimon Fusion Kai, especially the BGM element of it, so I'm going to incorporate it where I deem appropriate from now on as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**Pandemonium: Part 2**

**Great Battles; New Spade Pirates**

**Ferocious Will!**

_Forest Area: Near Ship_

_Ace vs Hitsuji_

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 03**)

The surrounding trees were alight, severe charring lining the now ring shaped arena forged out of the woodland, flames and heavy smoke just a mere mile from the ship, injured and broken down team members surrounding Ace as he took strides toward his crew and the three enemies.

"Ohhh ~" Hidan moaned rather feverishly, "why can I not just kill the little brats and be done with it?" he sighed, receiving a shadowy glance from his gargantuan ally.

"Seriously, you have _problems_." Kama retorted frostily.

"Say's the one who charred his entire left arm with that incredibly frustrating ability..." Hitsuji belittled, pointing his right index finger at Hidan and smirking triumphantly, receiving a respectful laugh from the cloaked giant.

"I guess your right there!" he chuckled lightly, much to Hidan's chagrin, as he let out a ferocious growl before staring back at Ace, who now stood before the three with intensity in his gaze, mostly focused on Hitsuji.

"I said... **FIGHT!**" he barked, raising his arm into the air and lowering it in a downward chop motion with delirious speed, sending a twirling wall of flame at his chosen foe.

Jumping upwards, the three looked down as the flames seemed to cease in their tracks, and rise rapidly toward them in a curving shot that elongated to one singular point, eventually focusing completely on the ecstatic Hitsuji before he slashed his arm across his chest, forging a small but sturdy wall of clay, using the brief moment before it's incineration to fall back to the ground safely.

"**Arcillia del Dragon!**" he yelled, spitting out the gargantuan menace that was the wyvern designed clay, letting out another sloppy roar as it approached Ace, noticeably to the Digidestined and their partners with more precision, accuracy and purpose than the one he had almost annihilated them with moments before.

As Ace realized the destructive qualities of such an attack and considered the safety of his wounded comrades, he began to flit towards his right, following the treeline and feeling relief as the dragon monster approached him instead of the kids, although noticing the other two members of the opposing force jumping over the concoction of clay as he prepared a retaliatory blow.

"**Hotorubi... Hidaruma!**" he barked, assuming his hands in a vertically opposite, palm thrust motion and released several green spores rapidly, quickly appearing to be a school of fireflies until they suddenly combusted with a explosion.

(**End BGM**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Digimon vs Kama and Hidan<span>_

(**Cue BGM: Digimon – Run Around**)

"THEY'RE COMING, PREPARE TO ATTACK!" the bulky beast of Knowledge proclaimed, crossing his arms across his chest in preparation, as others took their positions to launch techniques at the two oncoming villains.

"**Gold Rush!**"

"**Cat's Eye Beam!**"

"**Fire Torrent!**"

"**Spiking Strike!**"

"Hidan, take the left!" Kama shouted as he evaded Digmon and Nefertimon's blasts and explosive attacks, now heading towards his left.

"Yeah..." Hidan grumbled, with a childishly upset tone in his voice as he found a little more trouble dodging Flamedramon's attack that concealed Stingmon's approaching blow, simply letting himself be hit and reforming after Stingmon had passed through him.

"You seem to be forgetting... I'm called Digmon for a reason, partner!" the large Digimon boasted as he broke out of the ground with a large smash, now stood behind Hidan as the sadistic warrior stared on in horror from his left side, realising that the damage to his arm was to severe to counteract this revelation.

"**Rock Cracking!**" Cody's partner yelled, encasing his drills into the ground and separating it beneath Hidan in a hasty fashion, entombing the maniacal paper man several feet below the ground as a blood curdling scream was heard echoing as he landed on his charred arm.

Jumping above the crater, Flamedramon imbued his fist with flaring rage, still upset about Hawkmon's current condition, also remembering Kama's hint.

"_This guy can't turn into paper if fire or water is thrown over him... time to test that..."_ he thought as he thrusted forward into the ground with a relentless torrent of flames, hearing some loud roars of pain as his eyes turned cold, ignoring the suffering he was inflicting, much to Kari's silent disgust.

Suddenly, however, the scarred ally of the victim jumped in and punched the defenceless Flamedramon in the face, sending him flying into Davis and the group as the creature of flames coughed the very real red substance of blood before them.

"Flamedramon, you okay man?" his partner inquired softly as he crouched and helped the reeling reptile off of the ground.

"F-forget the ability, Davis... that guy's as strong as a bull!" he responded as he pushed his partner softly behind him, giving him a glare until he put the sword he was still holding dearly onto down once more, "do **not**." He ordered decisively.

**Crack... Pow!**

Looking at the rubble flying past his face, Davis spotted his partner sent high into the air from a shadowy figure with his riht arm raised and fist tightly clenched; Hidan had tunnelled underground and showed no new signs of burn injuries.

"Everybody, focus on the paper guy, the other one is farther away!" Tai barked, only to have it reconfirmed by Matt yelling orders of a similar nature after him, as the Digimon took position, as Nefertimon lifted off and circled around the now one armed menace, his other being completely limp and unresponsive as it dangled beside him.

"**Golden Noose!**" the feline voice purred, releasing a lightly golden hued rope from the shackle like apparatus on her front legs, twirling and tightening around Hidan as he writhed for freedom, "it's not as strong without Pegasusmon, so hurry it up!"

Taking this order upon himself, Stingmon kicked Hidan ferociously away from the Destined, toward Hitsuji and Ace's now ablaze battle.

(**End BGM**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Hitsuji vs Ace<span>_

"**Kyaoken!**" came the familiar rasp that was Ace's voice, his hands releasing the swirling mirror technique employed before, but this time dispersed so as to minimise escape routes.

However, Hitsuji had no intention of running, rather smiling viciously.

"**Arcillia del Bismarck!**" he yelled back, crossing his arms across his chest and slamming them into the air before him, releasing vast quantities of liquid clay toward the flame, taking form of a gigantic, misshapen appearance of a large whale, letting out a bellowing roar as it collided with Ace's flames.

The sloppy liquid began making a strange noise, immediately recognizable as overexposure to heat and increased hardening, as the flames rose over this new wall to slide toward Hitsuji as Ace dictated.

"Arggh!" the black haired, foul tempered youth cried, an extreme pain suddenly appearing in his back, looking back to see Stingmon with his foot raised, and the Paper Paper Fruit user escaping a strange, confining light by converting his body into sheets, the light itself bursting and disappearing as Ace looked at the kids with distain, "**KEEP YOUR OWN BATTLES TO YOURSELVES, YOU STUPID BAST**-"

His bewildering belittlement was interrupted by brown ooze surrounding his boots, hardening and reducing his mobility as he tried to look back, only to be met by a clay imbued fist, which somehow managed to make contact, breaking him out of the clay bonds and sending him flying, only recovering and performing a backflip to land safely seconds before he would have been invading the others battle, which he personally thought was to good to interfere with.

"Oh ~" his opponent berated mockingly, covering his mouth in false disbelief, "you can harden and incinerate my clay, but if I hit you with enough speed and force to _only_ harden it, I can _hit_ you!" he pointed at ace in hysterics, "Just look at it seep out of your body!"

Confused by what he was talking about, Ace suddenly felt a small trickle slither down his chin. Wiping at it with his finger, he found it to be blood; not a large amount, just about the same from a small cut, but it was still their.

"Interesting... I can hit you, you can hit me... however, I have the advantage," he began to smirk mockingly, Hitsuji's grin falling into a deathly glare, "what was that punch? Some of the women I've been with other my pirate life have slapped harder than that!"

"Oh, but I can multiply that pain easily, watch, fire man." He spat, raising his two closed fists, pointed downward at the ground and slowly opening them, dropping four large piles of clay across the earth. "**Nendo Kuron**" he chided, the piles forming quickly into humanoid shapes, clones, essentially.

"...Oh, crap..." was the Whitebeard Commander's response.

* * *

><p><em><span>Digimon vs Kama and Hidan<span>_

"I think we should avoid attacking our ally with an enemy..." was all Joe could muster to acknowledge Ace's obvious outrage.

"Way to state the obvious, Joe... hey Matt, how's he...?"

"He's just sleeping, Tai. Sora, Joe, can you help me bandage his wounds?" Matt said, kneeling over his little brother as Kari had tears brimming at her eyes again.

"S-sure" the Vice Captain responded.

"_...TK..."_ Davis thought, his mind foggy as to whether he hated, detested or grudgingly respected TK.

_Flashback: One Month Prior_

"_...Hey, pass it here, Davis!" came the distant yet familiar voice of Davis's long time friend, Tenouji Akimichi._

_The site he was recalling angrily was the site of the friendly soccer game between the soccer team for Davis's grade, split into two. Looking over, at the time, one of his opposition smiled warmly and invitingly to him; TK. _

_Aiming true, Davis made the pass with virtually no resistance, as Tenouji managed to dribble it a little farther up field before he came face to face with two strikers, making a risky pass between one of the strikers legs, Davis managing to retrieve it effortlessly, before he came face to face with TK, who looked determined to get the ball._

"_C'MON, TK!" came Kari's wail, smiling warmly from the bleachers as Yolei sat with her, Poyomon in her firm grip as they both smirked scandalously up at the now blushing hazel eyed girl._

"_...Kari... so you chose TK..." Davis whispered miserably, feeling his anger surge as he approached TK with the ball, "no, I mustn't..."_

_He attempted to pass by TK, which he succeeded in doing to a certain extent, before TK's outstretched leg attempted a cut off kick at the ball, receiving an unintentional kick from Davis and releasing agonizing cries of pain as his friend looked back in horror._

"_Did he just..." he thought as he saw Kari and Yolei approach with haste, crouching over and checking on TK's leg, which had suffered a bad sprain, "do that on purpose...?"_

"_DAVIS, GET OFF THE PITCH!" arrived the coach's bellowing tone, his mouth covered by his brown moustache, although the spiky haired goggle head was sure he was being shot through and through by a scowl, exemplified as he pulled out a dreaded red card with tensed fingers._

"_W-what? It was an accident!" he yelled in defence._

"_Accident my foot, Motomiya! The ball was away from the two of you, and his leg was clearly stretched out, not to mention you could have pulled back before you hit him. Unless you did it on purpose..."_

"_Why would I do that, you gorilla faced idiot?"_

"_GET OFF THE PITCH!" the coached yelled, almost screeching at the insult, "YOU'RE SEASON IS OVER HERE AND NOW FOR THAT!"_

_Finally yielding, he turned and began to walk away, but not before a frosty glare from Kari and Yolei were received, but his attention diverted to TK, who shot a quick smirk and mouthed the words,_

"_THANKS FOR THIS." As he turned to Kari and resumed his 'pain stricken' face, much to his friend's disgust and contempt._

_(Flashback End)_

"**Incoming, Davis, DUCK!**" Tai screamed, snapping the young Motomiya out of his trance, looking up sparingly to spot a sheet of paper approach him rapidly at eye level. Deciding to make his own stand, and not watch anything else in his life go astray without a fight, he lifted his blade and sliced directly down the centre of the paper, making it divide and separate directions just before it reached his face, as the caster stared on in amazement.

"God damn!" he smirked filthily at the group, who in turn stared in shock and awe at Davis's show of swordsmanship, "one of the little bastards can handle himself!"

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 05**)

"**Kami Sukima!**" he breathed, his feet converting into paper and heading underground with more and more paper to follow its descent.

"Is this that move he wanted to use before he got burnt?" Sora proposed, stood beside Matt with her arms tightened around the small of his back like a vice.

"If that's the case, then –"Matt was interrupted by a sudden, violent rumbling underneath the forest floor, eventually rattling the surface and separating it directly beneath Davis's feet, falling into the crevice that seemed to be more of a deep pit.

"W-wait...!" he shouted as he fell and hit the surprisingly soft bottom, "these walls are-!"

"Paper, it's my ultimate imprisonment technique, the Kami Sukima. Prepare to be sealed beneath several metres of earth, kid." He sneered.

Jumping in, Flamedramon grabbed Davis by the waist, and braced for a jump out of the hollow prison, but as he was about to reach the surface, the imposing, scarred face of Kama looked upon him, tensing as he thrust the creature of Courage back into the depths with his fist. Upon landing inside it, the paper began moving and forming a cylindrically shaped prison, topped with a thick dome of paper, kept from falling by the interlocking sheets holding the tonnes of paper up securely... for now.

"Flamedramon, burn the ceiling before we choke in here!" Davis coughed, feeling the immense strain of the dense air that entered his lungs like iron weights with each breath.

His partner raised his claw, illuminating his knuckles with intense heat and emitting a golden light that gave Davis a little hope, until his partner flinched at the sight of something in the shadows. After a lengthy stare at it with his blood red eyes, he shot at the ceiling with several fire balls, acting as a lightsource so intense it illuminated the entire room.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Davis yelled, again feeling the strain of the dense, compacted vacuum of air in the paper sealing chamber. His eyes were directly fixated on a third 'confined' soul; Hidan.

(**End BGM**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Digidestined vs Kama<span>_

"They got swallowed by the ground!" cried one of the team members, everyone so shaken that it was impossible to make any exact decision on who it was.

"T-the paper guy's gone!" another one added nervously.

"That sadistic... fool!" Kama condemned, looking at the ground into which his ally had vanished, already having made a guess as to where he had disappeared too, "he's sealed himself in a chamber with little air, not to mention with a swordsman and a fire attributed monster... oh, not that I'm saying he's normal..."

_Ace vs Hitsuji_

"Davis?" Ace shouted, looking out of the corner of his eyes to spot that he, Flamedramon and Hidan had vanished whilst he was fighting.

"Can you afford,"

"To lose your concentration,"

"Against all,"

"Of us?" the clones integrated their speech, surrounding Ace with a baffled look upon them all, the main body in front of Ace now staring over at the new, almost caldera like crater in the ground.

"That idiot... not only is he the weakest of us, he's got to be the dumbest as well!" he cursed, looking back at Ace with an intense gaze and lowered brows, "No matter though..."

(**Cue BGM: One Piece – Karakuri Defense System, Deploy**"

"**Arcillia del Dragon!**" all four clones and the main body spat, a very large amount of the brown clay liquid taking form on all sides into a smaller version of five wyverns. Ace recognized the threat as quickly as the cold bead of sweat dripped down his face. Jumping high into the air, he converted his legs into a constant, twirling flame that propelled him higher and higher into the air.

"IT'SH NO USHE!" they all yelled, muffled by the clay still coming from their mouths as the wyverns all diverted and separated to chase after Ace from different directions, he himself dodging them by altering his direction in constant flux to avoid the dragons, attempting to strike him erratically from all sides in mid air.

"_He's a Logia... and his ability gives him a brief window to strike me before mine overpowers his," _he thought frantically as he constantly altered his course whilst dodging the nimble dragons, _"the only thing I can think of to weaken him is the sea or somehow imprison him like Davis is now... but I can only create pillars, not complete domes!"_

"**Groorahh!**" was the sloppy, bellowing roar of all five dragons, now converging toward the assigned target at a faster rate as the casters of the technique smirked as best as they could, their eyes following Ace like a hawk.

"_Heating him up into a human statue isn't going to cut it, his techniques favour long range attacks," _he let out a vehement sigh, as if the dodging of the clay dragons eluded him as mundane,_ "Haki is out of the window... I can't use it in battle yet, the pup showed me that before. But he has to have some weakness or opening..."_

"Pesky bastard dragons... I've got to finish this before the Shichibukai arrives!" Ace barked at himself, trying self motivation to try and think better... and then an idea arose in his mind.

"_If I get in close, and his guard isn't up, then maybe the intangibility will be non-existent... first, I have to get rid of the clones and find his real body... wait, that's perfect!"_

Ace suddenly went into a nosedive, the dragons following him as he sped downwards toward all five Hitsuji's. He intensified the flame output and went even faster, almost resembling a blur as everyone on the ground looked in stunned awe.

"Whatsh he...!" Hitsuji managed to say, his voice mumbled as he and his clones all winced slightly as they slowed the dragons down in their pursuit of Ace.

"TOO LATE!" he shouted down to them, his feet reverting to normal as he twisted archly to face upwards at the now retreating attacks, "**Fire Fist!**" he yelled, releasing the very familiar jet of fire crashing into the dragons with great intensity in the embers, concealing the clay as it made a strange cracking sound.

Expelling the flames, Ace instinctively rejuvenated his ignited feet and sped out of the way with a smile on his face. Hitsuji and his clones looked on in terror as their techniques; now hardened into a dense solid, began to careen toward them with increasing speed. He realized he could not move at the time, as he would first have to manipulate his clones into letting up first.

"OH SHIT!"

**KAABBBBBBASSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!**

(**End BGM)**

* * *

><p><em><span>Digidestined vs Kama<span>_

"**Gold Rush!**" Digmon yelled, firing his missile like drills at Kama to no avail, simply dodging to his side as he looked behind Digmon, noticing all of the other Digimon and their partners and friends attempting to breach the crater of paper that held two of their own and a murderous sadist. Suddering at the thought of what horrors were occurring beneath their feet, they dug even faster, but still getting nowhere against the almost fortified dome of paper.

"Damn, we can't get through, even with our Digimon helping!" Cody cursed helplessly, the other staring at him out of shock of what the usually polite and etiquette abiding young boy had said as he balled his fists and creased his brown jumper like shirt.

"Cody... Flamedramon's with him, not to mention Davis just showed amazing strength on his own!" Mimi replied with warmth in her tender voice, trying to heighten the morale of her friends.

"B-but what if he's in trouble?" Cody snivelled slightly back, "most of us haven't exactly been kind to him! That's no way to go, my dad led a hard life, but at least everyone showed kindness and respect to him before he died!"

"Cody..." was all Yolei could muster; leaning towards Ken almost helplessly as she awaited Hawkmon's reinvigorated voice to sound in her ears.

Kari, in contrast, scowled slightly at Cody, instantly realizing that he was insulting her through his pained voice. She looked down at her 'wronged' boyfriend and thought deeply for a moment.

"_Davis... maybe... I was too hard on you, so you'd better get out of that hole so I can at least forgive you and move on... isn't that right, TK?" _she thought with a soft smile forming on her pained face.

"Wait, what's he doing... ACE, DON'T!" Matt shouted to no avail, pointing the group's attention to Ace's current predicament and subsequent plan, sending the clay dragons crashing earth with a resounding crash that trembled the earth.

_Underground Chamber_

_Hidan vs Flamedramon and Davis_

"**Flame Shield!**" the blue reptilian of fire screeched, unleasing a shroud of flame energy around his body and lunging at Hidan, who stood their with a cocky smirk on his face until he seemed to be absorbed into the paper wall, Flamedramon setting the area of impact alight as he made impact.

"_Why is he just dodging Flamedramon attacks?" _his partner thought, clutching at his sword as his joint began to feel heavy and his breathing more and more rapid, seeming to singe his lungs with each respire.

"Davis, we've gotta get out of here quickly!" his partner snapped, "he's making me burn the paper so that we both choke in here." He began to heave slightly, also showing the affects of the pressurized air and carbon dioxide being released and contained in the arena. He was almost sure he felt a slight trembling from above, unsure of what shook him briefly, but immediately casting it out of his mind as he searched for his foe.

"_Looks like they've figured my plan out... best kill them now if they aren't going to seal their own fates..."_

"**Oroshigane.**" His voice echoed coldly, the paper surrounding and stabilising the walls shifting in multiple directions, with no real pattern to be seen. _"Now you shall know why this is my ultimate technique."_

* * *

><p><em><span>Ace vs Hitsuji<span>_

"Crazy son of a...!" he strained out of his dry throat, "he was so close, and yet so far!"

"Say what?" the voice Hitsuji dreaded chided behind him, turning as fast as he could to face him, but already feeling a palm placed on his back.

"**Shinka: Shiranui!**" he chuckled, releasing a flame lance that pierced through Hitsuji with unrelenting fury, the latter coughing and gagging blood below him, forming a small pool beneath his feet.

"B-bastard... **GACK!**" he coughed again, his throat feeling dry as the fluid began to pour down his face freely and in large quantities. Using a great amount of will and physical power, he managed to pull away from Ace's palm, the caster diffusing the lance as his victim gasped desperately for air as he staggered from side to side with an obvious amount of difficulty in his posture, as he shook unbelievably.

"You got nervous, as I expected;

When you noticed my little ploy, you ordered your clones to negate the united attack before I solidified them and used their weight as small bombardments. When you noticed the clay hardened and you couldn't control it anymore, you had no time to simply move, as you would need to cease your dragon attack _and_ order the clones to retreat. So what was the next, best thing you thought of in your unnerved state?" he took a deep breath, looking at Hitsuji's hazed glare with a large smirk, "you got rid of the clones, and used that clay as a shield whilst you ended the dragon attack. Unfortunately, you let you guard down and let me attack you _beyond _your Logia defences." He finished rather confidently, dropping his fighting stance as Hitsuji coughed heavily again, falling to one knee with the largely burned, penetrated area just to the left of his right pectoral, beneath his diaphragm, but still causing him severe bleeding from the burns.

"It... isn't over y-yet..." he managed to spit with frost and murderous intent evident in his tone, clutching desperately to his chest.

"Logia's cannot regenerate wounds given to them when the defence is bypassed, surely you didn't consider yourself a completely invincible person. No matter what your cult preached, Logia's are not invincible; it's simply the trick of going beneath the protection given to you and me."

"**I AM CHOSEN...!**" he yelled powerfully as he rose back to his shaky feet, "you bastard... first that fat, black bearded asshole takes our tribute, and now you've actually had the gall to wound me... so much for sticking with you own kind, **PORTGAS D. ACE!**" he roared, his cold, green iris's foreshadowed by his now slit like pupils, resembling a viper's eyes.

"What did you just say?" Ace ordered violently, raisning his fist with slit like eyes.

* * *

><p><em><span>Paper Indentation<span>_

"C'mon, guys! I feel the heat from their battle now!" Tai roared proudly, usually a trademarked motivational technique of his, but seemed lacklustre in the gloomy, hopeless faces of his friends.

"Forget this, where did that guy go, I mean I've heard of getting bored to the point of wishing to vanish, but you can't be serious!" Nefertimon purred, ceasing her beam focused on the paper as it was getting nowhere fast.

"Right here."

"Hmm?" the Egyptian style masked Digimon hissed as she look to her right, being met with a merciless kick that sent her crashing out of the paper crater, "seriously, _I'm_ your opponent." he sighed forcibly.

"Bastard... **Gold Rush!**" the yellow beetle like Digimon yelled, launching his drills at his foe and hitting his chest with a small explosion, yet when the dust settled, he was standing their, still unfazed as he smirked devilishly.

"Thanks for injuring the _new_ target." He rasped mockingly, staring down into and beyond the prison technique.

"N-new target..." Izzy muttered lightly, his head burning with intensity; in his own way, he loved the challenge of trying to figure out the Devil Fruit's ability and why the redirected damage is only effective against a pre-coordinated 'target'.

* * *

><p><em><span>Navy Ship<span>_

"Tashigi, what happened here?" Smoker's menacing voice belittled as his subordinate awoke beside him, looking up in nervous terror of the look he was giving; it almost exuded bloodlust.

"C-Commodore... Smoker?" she dazedly replied, her gloved hand supporting her slacked head as she tried to regain her composure.

"What happened to all of the men?" he coldly reaffirmed, extending his gloved, tensed hand to the young woman, pulling her up after she had accepted it.

"Well... those monsters comrades arrived and, well, it didn't really go in our favour-"

"You were beaten senseless, just like you were by Roronoa, you mean." He smirked smugly, raising two newly lit cigars and placing them into his mouth, letting out a puff as he laughed slightly at the blushing but unchallenging girl. "Come on, help me reassemble and aid the injured, and we're off back on the hunt." His smile faded dramatically, his eyes now tunnel visioned, living up to his almost legendary epithet of 'White Hunter'.

_Fisherman's Vessel_

"If this is their ship, then where are they?" Jimbei pondered, stood beside the small ship with his webbed fingers investigating passively for any damage, before his natural sense returned to him, "no... I've been sent on a mission... the treaty is at stake..." ending sorrowfully, he pulled his webbed hands off of the ship with an unwillingness, turning back to the woodland to recommence a search, until he spotted a flickering fire being chased by strange trails of a brown liquid, fire being shot off sporadically at the reforming, rejuvenated trails.

"Ace... forgive me..." he muttered sadly as he began running back into the woodland, making a bee-line for the battles taking place in the small, manufactured clearing.

* * *

><p><em><span>Underground Chamber<span>_

_Hidan vs Flamedramon and Davis_

(Cue BGM: **Top Emotional OST of All Times – Life Goes On**)

Coughing and clawing at throats began to consume the two partner warriors of Courage, as Davis skewered his sword into the conveniently paper floor and held at his throat, coughing desperately as his partner did much the same, his energy sapped so greatly that he finally lost hold on his current form, and with a golden burst, reverted to the gagging form of Veemon.

The paper had been shifting almost timidly for several minutes, Hidan watching his pray writhe in pain, their lungs beginning to yield under the strain of the self inflicted gas chamber. Finally, however, he had seen enough to satisfy his sadist nature.

His arm forming out of the wall, he twitched and clenched his open palm into a fist, summoning his sheets to attack the two victims with mercy.

"D-Davis... forgive... meee..." the blue reptile muttered as he collapsed, vision fading and eyes glazed over as he lay, motionless.

"Veemon..." his partner coughed, also collapsing inside the paper cage as he anticipated his death and flashed over his life's key happenings, seconds before the paper was due to strike him and Veemon from all directions.

_Getting accepted by some real friends at age 7..._

_His big sister Jun's temper tantrums that constantly hammered the divide between them further and further apart, even though they always were there for each other... __**Always**__._

_Meeting his Digidestined comrades with his embaressing outburst before Kari's locker, ordering TK to back off and recalling the great blush he had felt as Kari sighed at him... of course, he would later find out, truly was of annoyance._

_Meeting his partner also stood before his mind, along with jolting shocks of his Digital World adventures and real world troubles with Arukenimon, Mummymon and Yukio Oikawa, the cheated child. The bravery of whom was squandered by some unforeseen force resting in wait for the Digidestined to begin open warfare. Davis had given up, and Azulongmon's masked face was visible to him in a pure white space as being disappointed and saddened at his friend's foreboding death in the world of dreams. They're chosen training ground._

"_Forgive... me, everyone... this is as far as I go..." _

_But among all of these memories, one stood out most prominently, as tears fell unrestrained down his gasping face in that cage._

"_Kari's smile..."_ he thought happily, forming a smile on his lips as he began to lose his hearing slightly, but having it re-established by Hidan's echoed piercing scream, the paper around him falling before grating him and Veemon like cheese.

"**KAAAAMMMAAAAAA!**" he bellowed in absolute white rage, his body reforming out of the paper wall before Davis's faded eyes, as he fell down and clutched at his smoking midsection with his right arm, the other one charred beyond salvation, even with his Logia powers.

(**BGM End**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Paper Indentation<span>_

"I just hit this guy directly in the chest with my attack, why won't this monster fall down?" Digmon complained in a husky, heavily accented voice as he stood beside the crater, guarding it from the unmoving, seemingly invincible Kama, Nefertimon still reeling from the kick that repelled her from the sight.

"Well... unless he's dead, I guess I'll change targets now, but who shall it be?" he spat, his eyes passing over the Digidestined and their partners, analytically, almost.

"Oh, I think that'll do just fine..."

"EVERYONE, MOVE ASIDE!" came a bellowing echo, revealing itself to be Ace as he ran forwards toward the crater, a shaking, bloody Hitsuji left in his wake, spitting curses at his foe as he turned away from him and ran towards his crew, his eyes intently focused as he crossed his arms across his chest, putting them back down in a slashing motion as he raised his upturned right palm into the air; a great flame encompassing the now vast clearing created from the battles.

"Everyone, come with us!" was Stingmon and Neferimon's cry, airlifting all the children as quickly as they could whilst Digmon jumped out of the way hastily with Cody and TK in his arms.

"**Dai Enkai...**" Ace smiled, his upturned palm becoming the converging point for the embers to form a small orb of condensed fire, resembling a miniature sun. Noticing this, Kama also jumped out of the way rapidly, Ace jumping high into the air and forcing the sphere to point at the paper crater, _"hold on Davis, I'll get you some air right now!"_

"**ENTEI!**" he roared proudly, the sphere in his hand expanding rapidly and becoming more and more like a small sun, embers flaring off from around the dense sphere of flames, almost imploding upon impact with the ultra thick, specialised and reinforced prison dome of paper, hopes of reaching Davis and Veemon becoming alight as a thunderous 'crash' sounded, the sphere decompressing like a small bomb and releasing an impenetrable flash...

* * *

><p><em><strong>To be continued...<strong>_

Please **Review!**

Has the crew managed an astounding feat, with two Logia's mortally wounded in their individual combat, which shook the island to its core? Has Davis _truly _met the end of his path, or has Ace's bold and destructive move given him a breath of fresh air? Will Patamon and Hawkmon be able to join in time for a decisive victory to be achieved, and better still, can Kama actually _be _defeated?

Find out next time in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

A/N: Well, that was a fantastic chapter to create! My creativity in the battles were unleashed, and I dropped maybe one too many bombshell events in one chapter, yet still unsatisfied...

Next chapter shall be the conclusive Pandemonium chapter, but can our heroes manage the feat deemed impossible by the sleeping Giant; Laxus? Find out next time. And as always, thanks for even taking the effort of reading this from start to finish, I enjoy writing this, and it's a pleasure for people to criticise and praise your work.


	10. Pandemonium Part 3

The conclusion of the three great battles is on fast approach, with the two formerly invincible Logia users on the reproach, stemming from intense and extensive wounds suffered by them both. But the one who can still claim to be almost invincible is Kama, who has still yet to receive a scratch.

A/N: Big heads up to Lord Pata, my first partner in crime and assistant planner of this FanFic. They are the one responsible for helping me with the soppy couple things, as I am useless on my own at that.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**Pandemonium Part 3**

**Angemon's Great Gospel!**

(**Cue BGM: Greatest Battle Music of all Times – Sky Battle**)

"**GRROOOOORAAAAAHHHHHH!**" was the roar let out by the Flare-Flare Fruit user, slamming his catastrophic technique into the manufactured, domed prison underground that withheld two of his crewmates, as everyone else who could had long since moved away, Digmon, with Cody and TK in his arms and Kama the only ones near the crater on ground level; Hitsuji more concerned with his severe wound through his chest cavity by Ace's heat lance.

Vssshh...

!

Akin to a bomb of WMD standards, the explosion was accompanied by a gargantuan burst, the sound deafening and the flash blinding, but not enough to deter the ever watching Digidestined, both on ground and mid air.

Vssshh...

As the dust began to settle after several tense seconds, the thick cloud of smoke began to lift, revealing the ground formerly supported by the paper prison punched in, a large crevice trailing off from the large circular rift in the ground, the bystanders all trying to get the best view they could from their given positions, the ones in the air peering right in, looking for so much as a twitch to indicate not only Davis and Veemon's survival, but now the vanished Ace, his own flash seeming to take him along with the cataclysmic explosion.

"You don't think that all three are..." broke Mimi's voice, saddled like a princess upon Nefertimon, holding intently around Izzy's chest.

"Suicide...?" was Kama's contribution, his eyes still as cold and calculating as ever, but his twitching across his face and around his scar suggested he was slightly distraught over the blast, "no... Logia's, no matter how stupid, wouldn't _dare_ generate an attack so powerful, and _not_ maintain their regenerative prowess..."

"Wait... didn't the invincible guy also move?" the strawberry blonde commented as she gripped even tighter.

"Was he... _afraid of that attack_?" her current ballast queried, his mind aflame with excitement as he began to hypothesis why it was necessary for Kama to move, instead of injuring his newly chosen 'target', "of course! So far the ability has only repelled singular attacks, but he hasn't faced anything that attacks multiple times at once, like that explosion!"

"But, when he burned his ally's arm, he was struck by Flamedramon's Fire Rocket, and that's a constant fire!" Tai interjected from the now stabilizing Stingmon's shoulder.

"Actually, it makes perfect sense!" the boy genius declared with a smirk, as Nefertimon lowered back to the ground slowly in case of danger, "his attack was a single energy source of a similar wavelength, whereas that explosion was multiple energies at one time heading toward him; things like wind pressure, heat energy and geothermal energy! An explosion is multiple energy signitures in constant flux, meaning –"

"In English, Izzy! We're about to restart the fight, and knowing how to actually hit him would help!" his wildly brown haired compatriot bellowed with such great intensity in his gaze that it forced Izzy to flinch.

"It means, if we use an attack with several energies at once, we'll be able to strike him, prodigious!" the red haired computer whizz laughed with excitement and relief as the two sky bound Digimon landed, meeting with Digmon, who jumped vast distances as quickly as he could in the now vast, burning forest arena.

(**End BGM**)

"That's great, Izzy, but..." Cody jeered lightly, trying to remain as respectful in his belittlement as possible, "all of our Digimon can't go to very high levels, and even their Armour forms have one element unique to them... so, how?"

"**GACK!**... Patamon an I... w-will do it..."

"TK!" Kari cried, rushing over to her boyfriend's side as he struggled to raise himself off of the ground, his right hand clutching defencivly against his wounded area, with his left placed upon the ground as a support, along with Kari's support from his back, "when did you wake up?"

"H-heheh, with such a l-loud bang, who wouldn't w-wake up?" he teased, his girlfriend now a light tinge of pink from embarrassment, "I have... n-no idea how we got here, but... me and Patamon will take c-care of this 'energies' guy Izzy was just talking about." He stated, suffering from a quick coughing fit and summoning up some blood into his right palm, much to Kari and the other Digidestined's shock, as the blonde Child of Hope looked around the group, uncaring of the dry feeling in his throat coupled with intensive pain.

"W-what is it, TK?" Matt asked, deeply relieved at his brother's awakening but becoming unnerved at the sight of his blood, Sora having noticed by the sudden tensing she felt in one of his arms.

"Where is Davis?" he ordered, shocking everyone with his cold, harbouring attitude, watching as he struggled to his feet and stammering on them as Patamon landed as softly as he could on TK's shoulder; a cold glare staring at the crater as he remained silent from his perched position.

"W-well..." Tai stammered, attempting to pacify TK and sit him down with his trademark clueless face and hand gestures, to which he received no response; TK was having none of it, "he was fighting the paper guy in that crater with Flamedramon, but... well it's kinda..." he ceased his explanation as he looked sorrowfully at the crater of still receding smoke, turning back hesitantly to meet TK's sapphire blue eyes almost complete, apart from small, black slit's dilating in the centre.

"S-say what?" was his frosty reception, "he's fighting _himself_ against the guy who... **GACK!**" he coughed once more, his crimson fluid lightly staining his hand as he wiped it away and began staggering toward the crater with slow intensity and a frosty breeze behind him, Patamon's eyes becoming unfocused as distance was put between him and the group's eyesight, especially Kair, who remained silent and motionless, her right arm still raised in failure of retrieving TK from his stroll toward the crater, her eyes widening as a great shadow engulfed her vision of him.

"That bastard!" Matt screamed, releasing Sora as he began to run forward in ruthless aggression toward the imposing, 8 foot tall Kama. His brother ceased his approach to the crater and looked up at the giant with intent and unaffected eyes, his partner trying hard not to show his fear, and faking a scowl at the scarred face.

"Move it." TK venomously ordered, one of the claw marks on his chest reopening and beginning to shape a streak of blood on his yellow and light blur shirt, his eyes narrowing and twitching, and his breath pacing faster and faster as his vision became slightly clouded.

"Insolence; why are you even trying to get over to the crater with you're wounds?" he glared narrowly down at the injured, blonde teen, "If Hidan's alive, he'll just claw you again... you are _that_ child, right?" he sneered devilishly, "that 'little bitch' he mentioned.

That made him and Patamon snap, the small yellow creature taking flight up to the cloaked man's face and firing his trademark technique, the condensed air bubble landing but not even making the target blink. Slapping him aside, he began to take steps toward a slightly retreating but still infuriated TK, the staggering boy buckling at his knees and losing his footing, his wound overtaxing his body.

"**TK!**" the group cried in unison as they all ran at varying paces toward him, Kari naturally darting in front with Matt closely trailing behind as the rest of the members stared on in awe of the unfolding situation, gasping as Kama raised his right fist and preparing for a downward strike.

"**Die, now.**" Was the last echoing thing TK could hear before his pulsating heartbeat pounded and jibed against his wounded chest, closing his eyes as Kama began his downward thrust before...

SMACK!

Reopening his sapphire eyes, TK spotted a large silhouette before him, angelic like in appearance as his wings expansed far across proudly; and several linen clothing on his well toned, muscular body with a large, angelic blue loin cloth falling down far from his waist. Both his arms were raised and clenched as they desperately fended off a great force from Kama's punch with a long bo' staff.

"Angemon...?" he muttered in disbelief, as his evolved partner pushed back the powerful Kama with his staff and assumed a fighting stance, delivering a quick blow to Kama that, although it had no chance of actually injuring him through brute force, pushed him several meters away, to which he widened in a retreating back step.

"TK... you called for me, you're surge of burning determination and Hope made me stronger, I truly am proud to be your partner." He chimed with an angelic tone, a long smile forming across his handsome face with his orange hair running behind him freely.

"But... what Hope?" he responded in surprise.

"_TK, you know full well what hope I speak of... but regardless, I've got a monster to defeat." _His angelic voice deepened, revealing a more aggravated, determined look on his partially masked face as he looked back at Kama, resuming his fighting stance with his staff in his elongated left hand; his right placed backwards in a punching stance.

"**Hand of Fate!**" he yelled, thrusting his now divinely glowing knuckles forward quickly, making contact with Montague Kama, a quick flash erupting with angelical flares flying away from the site of impact.

"That won't...! No way..." Izzy murmured, stunned by the sight before him, as Kama's metallic footstep announced his approach, stepping through the small dust cloud surrounding him t reveal a stunning sight that baffled all of the Digidestined and their Digimon beyond comprehension, as several whispers were traded between them; Montague Kama, the seemingly impregnable human fortress, had a small trail of blood streaming from his nervously smirking mouth and down to his chin, forming small blood drops that fell deafly past the smoky residue of Angemon's assault.

"I... _cannot believe this_! Someone actually managed to..." he looked like he was on the brink of a nervous breakdown, before shrugging indifferently and sighing heavily, turning back to Angemon and then to Izzy almost ecstatically, "whatever... a deals a deal, right?"

"Oh!" the red haired Child of Knowledge recalled, "the Devil Fruit's name!"

"Correct, 'Enlightened One', as one of your own managed to damage me, I'll tell you... the Karma-Karma Fruit, the Paramecia power of damage redirection; voodoo, in a sense..." he redirected his stare to Angemon, who looked unshaken by the deathly aura surrounding his opponent, "but just _how_ did you do it?"

"My Hand of Fate is a culmination of all the positive energy that surrounds me; no matter the element, it will join and unite it's power against the darkness," he smirked slightly and rose from his fighting stance, lifting off into the air with several feathers trailing behind him, "I believe it worked well also due to your power stemming from a fruit enchanted by evil creatures."

* * *

><p><em><span>Paper Prison<span>_

"Hey, Davish, wake up!"

"_...Vee...mon...?"_

"Davis, I order you to wake up! Do you hear me?"

"_...If Ace is here, it must be hell... heh heh..." _he snorted, laughing echoing in the darkened void as a light began shining, consuming him as his eyes opened.

Looking through his unclouding eyes, he noted illuminating flames around him that also revealed Veemon and Ace; both battered and bruised, kneeling beside him with relieved faces. Looking past them, he noted that the dome of the suffocating prison was now alight at the rims, a humongous hole looking like a charred stab wound, only on a much larger scale.

"Listen, I thought you wouldn't survive in here, so I wrapped up my battle and blew a hole in the roof... you aren't the proud type, are you?" his captain joked, receiving a raised eyebrow on Veemon's behalf, as they both pulled the weary and short of breath Digidestined leader to his feet.

"N-no... where is that paper guy... *cough*" he pondered aloud, placing his soot encompassed glove to his mouth and unintentionally intensifying his cough, much to his partner and Ace's amusement as he pointed with his thumb behind him.

"He's been crying in pain from sudden burn wounds, probably on account of our other friend. I've beaten the Clay-Clay Fruit user, so with the other Logia down here with us, we have to depend on the others to pull through against Montague Kama, possibly the black sheep of the group, who knows? Anyways, our part in this battle is finished." Ace sighed, placing his retrieved hat atop his head and lying in the small area not on fire, even though he would be naturally unaffected.

"But, what if that guy seals the dome again?" Veemon imputed.

"Well, leave that to me. Hell, I didn't need to even use Entei, I could've gotten in here with the Hibashira technique." He stated as Davis lay beside him, noticing his sword inside a school of flames, and felt slightly upset at watching such a good blade be burned slowly.

* * *

><p><em><span>Angemon vs Kama<span>_

"**Hand of Fate!**" he yelled once more, releasing the holy blow at his opponent who, recognizing the threat, dodged in great haste, much to his opponents irritation, "YOU WON'T GET AWAY!" he spat, his ominous voice overbearing the sound of his staff being stashed in the ground head up, as he began releasing a flurry of holy punches at his foe.

(**Cue BGM: Vegeta's Full Theme – Hells Bells**)

Dodging as best he could, Kama managed to avoid the threatening beams shot from both Angemon's fists in rapid succession, as he began to gasp for air, and unlatched his cloak's twister, and held the black cloth behind him in his hand as he stared at Angemon almost benevolently.

"H-he's amazing!" Digmon concluded, enshrouding himself in a golden hue and returning to his Rookie-Level form, Armadillomon.

"**GO, ANGEMON!**" yelled Gatomon with a slight purr in her feline voice, her claw raised in the air almost triumphantly. Kari smiled warmly down to her blissfully ignorant partner, dropping it once she noticed her brother and Matt aiding an unwilling TK back to the safety of the group.

As he was leant down by the two elders, Joe and Kari were the first to come to his aid, Joe immediately beginning the pain staking process of resealing TK's reopened scar, the blood now thickening worryingly out of his vertical wound as his pulse and heart rate increased. Kari knelt beside him and caressed his forehead; TK tensing his forehead as he noted her pain stricken face, not external pain, but a far worse kind; **inner pain.**

**BOOOMMMMMM!**

**BAAASSSSHHHHH!**

**KAAAAATTTTTSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUU!**

"Here you go, quire boy!" Kama scoffed, changing his course and running erratically from side to side on his path to Angemon, the beams barely missing him and creating great flashes and damage behind him; until one managed to predict his course, and he lifted his arm, releasing the cloak into the free air, concealing him as an illuminated burst of positive energies struck him.

"Got him -!" the angeloid stopped his triumphant sayings and reassumed a firm grip on his staff, twirling it so quickly through the air that as he switched hands and ceased it, a small, distorted gust of wind repelled both dirt and smoke away from his vicinity, "but... I still feel a chill in my spine..."

**!**

Turning to the source of the bellow, Angemon and the Digidestined were faced by a colossal, hazel shaded liquid dragon, following it to the apex; they spotted Hitsuji, struggling on his feet with one hand firmly clasped around his chest cavity, his eyes narrowed and brows furrowed with intense rage as he forced his usual, cold smile at them.

"**Arcillia del Dragon...**"

"I thought Ace beat that guy... look, he's got a big wound to his chest! Why hasn't he bled to death like any normal person would?"

"Matt, your calling a _man made of clay_ **normal**?" Mimi scolded, pointing at the blonde rocker with an intense gaze.

"No, Mimi, I think I know," Izzy began, "remember on the ship, when Joe asked about Gold Roger's power? Well, I remember saying something about strength and natural vitality being at a much greater level in a normal person in this world."

"Again; _**normal**_?" her eyes narrowed, forcing Izzy to blush pungently under the supremacy of her wide eyes glaring at his small, almost insignificant eyes.

**!**

"**IT'S COMING!**" the group screeched in unison, Angemon instantly flitting into view before them, preparing his signature strike once more, as the Digidestined watched helplessly as the gargantuan dragon approached, Gatomon hissing at Angemon's 'foolishness'.

Releasing the attack once more, Angemon's heavenly blast careened toward the dragon, to which the dragon nimbly avoided the blast and raised into the air, surprising everyone as an additional three heads sprouted, resembling a Hydra from the mythological creatures from the children's home world.

Feeling several tugs and pulls, the Digidestined instinctively reminded each other how to move, pulling at each others shirts and beginning to run, Matt instantly disappearing like a blur to his younger brother's side, and lifted him onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry, running back towards the fleeing group as fast as he could.

"_...Davis, damn you... you've outdone me... AGAIN...!"_ TK grinded with gravel in his silent voice, the whisper being partially but not completely acknowledged by his elder brother, who's face darkened slightly as he redirected his attention to his path. _"...why? Why must I be so envious of you?" _his whisper became more pained, his eyes reddening with brimming tears that he refused to release, _"...I've got the girl, the friends and the special Crest to my name, but... you have something that has never been granted to me by everyone else; every Digidestined in our world. I'm more level headed... and you're a reckless idiot, so..._

_WHY DO THEY ALL __**RESPECT**__ AND __**ADMIRE**__**YOU**__ MORE?" _his voice broke down, making his final cry of anguish inaudible, even to Matt, who was more focused on the sloppy roar that approached him from his right; it wasone of the sprouted heads, that Angemon had failed to repel.

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Paper Prison<span>_

"Huh?" Davis shivered terribly for a moment, ignorant to the apparent cause as he rose from the spot where he lay, beside Ace and Veemon, who immeadiatly began to quiry into what was wrong, until Davis gasped at the sound of something, "hang on, do you hear something?" he said, raising a finger to point out of the crater.

**!**

"He's still attacking?" Ace shot up, lifting his hat above his eye line as he stared at the opened ceiling with a fist tightly clenched at his side, and rose to his feet in a rapid motion, "Davis, Veemon! Come on, we're needed up there!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Angemon vs Hitsuji<span>_

"**Hand of Fate!**"

The beam grazed and burned off one side of the dragon, receiving an excited response until the clay swirled and reformed the structure, as it flew just over the groups heads, chomping down with it's makeshift jaws as it's teeth hardened and re-liquidated in an instant at the caster's demand.

"Damn it..." Matt grinded his teeth as he stood back up, clenching Sora securely in his arms, "he is injured, why doesn't he just –"

"Matt! You shouldn't think like that!" she snapped beneath his embrace, making him blush blankly as he looked away, catching a glaring gaze from Tai as he ran his eyes across the now repugnantly scarred woodland battle site.

"That's it... I wanna try something different!" Angemon barked ominously, even though partially concealed by a decorative mask, he was clearly twitching in anger, placing his finger tips together before him with his thumbs stretched out to form a diamond shape, "you should all clear out of here, this will be dangerous..."

"W-what will?" his partner said, rising to his feet unassisted as he began to regain more feeling in his legs.

"_**My new technique.**_" He grunted echoingly, the diamond shape forged between his fingers and thumbs beginning to charge and spark with sapphire blue bio – electricity, intermixed with small distortions of golden sparks, that reconnected to the forming attack. As he raised more and more power, he lifted off of the ground and extended his wings, leaving trails of feathers as Hitsuji and the oncoming dragon stared on arrogantly at him, whilst Kama stared on from a dirt mound a fair distance away from the on-going fight, looking rather distraught.

"If he could even get past my Karma-Karma Fruit with a minute amount of that power, than..." he wiped his blood away from his mouth as he tried to recuperate, feeling the massive strain from the Hand Of Fate he endured earlier, "Hitsuji is as good as beaten if he doesn't move."

"Bring it on! Why not challange me at this final chapter with this as well...?

**Arcillia del Bismarck!**" his partner stared on in remorse an anguish at the stupidity he had just witnessed, the whale taking on physical form beside the dragon and heading toward the collected angel, as he sighed deeply.

"It was nice knowing you, Head." He breathed vehemently as he crouched and placed his arms below his chin in preparation for an explosion.

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 04**)

"**Everyone, Run!**" Tai cried, beginning to lead off all of the others as he grabbed Kari whilst Matt and Sora hinged TK, scurrying him along as they ran as Angemon glowed brightly, like a star going supernova as the light expanded.

"**GREAT GOSPEL!**" he finished; the star like energy released at once through his connected hands and colliding with the dragon and whale combination.

And then, all the light seemed to fade for the briefest of moments, the sound dying away as the Digidestined kept running, being consumed by the light wholly as several sparks generated before them.

* * *

><p><em><span>Unknown Forest Area<span>_

"Nngghhh..." broke the silence, followed by a heavy yawn as a humongous figure began to raise itself off of the soil, a searing pain at several cuts across his body as his faded eyes began to refocus, "what... happened to Jimbei?" he asked himself, looking around feverishly before wincing in pain.

He eventually composed himself and rose shakily to his gargantuan feet, almost breaking a tree with his fall as he initially struggled, but luckily regained feeling in his legs before he landed. Searching around the area once more, he began to walk almost in a trance toward a massive site of smoke and fire in the woodland, muttering angrily about the forest's beauty being threatened.

His eyes unfocused once more, however, as his gaze at the fire was blurred by a vast flash of light, followed by the disappearance of all surrounding sound, even with birds and other animals fleeing nervously beside him across twigs and through hedges. And then, the darkness engulfed him for a brief moment.

* * *

><p><em><span>Battle Site, Outskirts<span>_

Jimbei sauntered through the forest at a brisk pace, heading directly toward the site of flames and smoke that rose high into the air, extending into a merging with now darkened clouds. Looking at them passively, he deducted that it must have now reached dawn time, as far off into the distance, the sun began to radiate it's welcoming beams of photons, allowing better visibility.

However, he finally spotted the Digidestined far off in a now large and dead area of burned and destructed woodland, leaving almost nothing but mounds of dirt that shook under something. Looking up, he spotted an angel with his hands conveyed in a gesture, with vast energy circulating between them. Realizing the power due to his keen sense, he flinched as the magnitude of the concentrated attack became closer and closer until all light had disappeared, along with sound...

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p>(<strong>Cue BGM: DBZ OST – SSJ3 Power Up<strong>)

"What have they _**done?**_" Smoker spat venomously, coiled like a viper about to strike as his recovered Marine force began to feel shaky at their knees, unable to fathom such great power. The almost omniscient light seemed cold to them, unforgiving; they also began to feel pushed as the light impeded their struggles to advance, pushing them back into the sea as Smoker hooked onto a nearby crate for support, Tashigi standing their still, unshaken and unaffected, as if the light had _purposely _ignored her presence.

"Why aren't you being pushed by this, Tashigi?" her superior ordered as he clung even tighter to the crate, the light engulfing him.

"I don't know, Commodore... but... I have these weird sparks in front of me... like a shield..."

The silence was deafening, but not nearly as unbearable or overpowering as the affect the attack released a moment _after_ impact with the clay combination.

**! ~**

It built up, like a layer upon layer type of explosion, drilling into the skulls of the group and their currently inactive partners and seemed almost endless; some beginning to wonder if they had just been finished by the attack for not being fast enough, and this was limbo; stuck listening to the moment of their end on repeat.

(**End Music**)

That is, however, until the light actually began to fade around them, forming jagged curves that receaded as the light vanished, leaving the group rubbing their eyes and strangely finding no effect from the sudden burst of blinding light; possibly due to Angemon's restraint, was what they thought, turning back to the fight and finding something even more miraculous; the damage that seemed to engulf the island with the light shockwave was actually concentrated on Hitsuji's spot; no damage even visible on the ground or tree leaves rustled... it was all harmonious, much to the contrary of the initial blast's appearance of mass destruction.

Consequently, Hitsuji stood, shaking unfathomably as blood seeped from fresh wounds all over his body in the forms of large cuts that seemed to curve to the outside of his skin... he was attacked from the inside out by the shockwave. His eyes were pale white, with very few indications he ever had black iris's or a pupil.

He was about to fall, or rather crumble to the floor, as the clay he had surrounded himself with had cracked and began falling off of his well proportioned muscles onto the soil. Refocusing, he jerked and tightened his knees, raising his back slowly to face the landing Angemon, himself panting in exhaustion, as he was stared at by Hitsuji's faded but violent eyes as he spurted blood from his mouth, his previous wound having been completely overhauled by the shockwave.

"I'd say that technique worked, just look at how concentrated and powerful it was – to _you_." Angemon huffed with an echo, barely containing the godly snicker from his irate opponent. "But you sure are sturdy, I meant for that attack to only harm my target and people with dark recesses in their hearts with a shockwave. You took the brunt of it, whilst everyone on the Peninsula with dark thoughts have been pushed by holy energy." He flicked his right hand to his side with an orange glow, extending it into his staff as a summoning method as he stood braced.

"I-I-I cannot be d-defeated by an angel slice!" Hitsuji grumbled, his attempt at dark humour also badly damaged as he crumbled to a single knee, coughing more blood as the group looked on in dismay at the growing crimson puddle at his feet.

"_But you can be defeated by this..."_

"Huh?" Hitsuji yelled, feeling a brunt force at his cheek, glistening and shiny in it's shape.

"**Heavy Metal!**" Laxus happily shouted, launching Hitsuji off of his fist with great force, sending him al the way toward the tree line as the Clay-Clay Fruit user jerked in mid air, coughing blood into a brief trail as he landed, unconscious and defeated at last.

"Hey, who are-!" Angemon's ear piqued at a distant sound, coming closer and closer as he looked, noticing a four legged creature with a large, golden spike that was jagged in shape, atop a black enveloped creature with a blue, intersecting Yin Yang character on his chest, contained in a circle, also bearing three jagged spines atop his back, with two familiar silhouettes clutching to them.

"Don't hurt him!" Davis yelled, his face contorted and wrinkled with intent as his auburn hair rustled in the wind, Ace sat beside him with a few bruises form his battle with the now defeated Hitsuji as he held his hat with his free hand, holding it over his eyes with his index finger and thumb, "he's our friend!"

"**DAVIS!**"

"_Tch... Playing the hero again, I see..." _TK echoed in his clouded thoughts, _"but... you did care for Kari while I was out, so... I know how to make things right and even..."_ he flinched slightly, before refocusing to Davis and Ace dismounting Raidramon, who stood their proudly at his speed during the approach.

"Feeling better- oh, you look like hell, Laxus." The goggled boy giggled childishly as a husky chuckle was heard from the Giant, who sat beside them in a much better mood.

"Hey, guys... before you get to comfortable..." Mimi whimpered as she searched around the scorched and destroyed forest battle site, "where is the big guy who we started beating?" she said, instantly initiating a knock-on effect of searching for him, realizing he was walking calmly towards them at a calm pace, his face blank as he stared at them, his view obscured by Angemon and Laxus both walking before them in a protective manner, Raidramon flaring up static charges on his back in preparation.

(**Cue BGM: Naruto Shippuden OST – Sorrow Solitude**)

"Don't, I have no intention of continuing this battle further." He stated bluntly, walking past the group without batting an eye to them, the crater or Hitsuji as he walked toward the coast, much to their astonishment.

"But... why?" Cody muttered lightly, withdrawing into himself as Davis stepped before him protectively.

"Yeah, why are you just going to leave?" Yolei barked distastefully, "don't you have those Giants to bully into paying you?" she finished with a muffle, Ken covering her mouth softly as she fell silent. As they looked on, they noticed the giant man stop walking as he tilted his head to the side, pretending to notice them.

"Laxus, I have never bullied the Giants, have I?"

"!" Laxus focused as he lessened his guard, "now that he mentions it, none of ta' villagers ever stated he did anything, just those two..."

"Yes, but my fun here, is over. I thought I could afford to stop travelling, as I lived only to increase my strength, the one true thing of value left to me in this world... but having been met with an equal, I must go back on my journey." He smirked slightly, not that the kids could notice, "Maybe I'll find my reason for staying in this world... something worth the prices."

"But what about your comrades?" Ace inferred, "are you just going to leave them for Smoker?"

"They do not possess the background or productivity of execution, so I shall expect them to be sent to Impel Down. I'll break them out when I have reached a new peak of my power."

"Impel Down?" the Digidestined muttered in unison.

"Maybe later," Ace waved off to them, "but how do you plan to get out of here?"

"We came on a ship, of course. That foolish friend of Laxus's saw us arrive, and tried to politely decline before Hidan and Hitsuji began that bloody invasion... I may not have looked it, but I resented that day; it sickened me!" he clenched his fist and began walking toward the coast once more, "anyways, I hope I meet you again, someday... I will defeat you, I promise!" and with that he disappeared into the trees and continued until concealed by the unscorched brush of the woodland.

"He's... gone..." Laxus muttered rather sadly, staring at the point from which Kama disappeared for another moment before turning with a clumsy and laudable face, "but, you guys helped purge the evil from ma' village...! I want to reward you guys... come with me to Rittorubiggu! We've got partying to do!"

(**End Music**)

"In a moment, let's all cool off before doing anything." Tai ordered as Raidramon and Angemon devolved into Veemon and Patamon beside him, running to their partners with a quick embrace before sighing in exhaustion.

(**Cue BGM: Naruto Shippuden OST – Never Give Up**)

"...Ken, how do you put them in the Digivice?" Davis asked, Veemon looking up confused with a blank stare.

After a quick explanation of the function; Davis, Cody and Ken himself placed their Digimon in the small handhelds, Patamon and Gatomon exclaiming their health as they insisted on walking to the village while Smoker arrived at the battle site to pick up Hitsuji and the immobile Hidan while they had celebrated their victory and stayed in hiding until the Marines left or they had a chance to return to the boat; it sounded like a plan to them as they began the brisk walk back to Rittorubiggu, battered and bruised.

Gatomon and Patamon trailed behind, a fair but not distinguishable distance from the tired group as they walked beside each other.

Gatomon looked at Patamon and without warning jumped nimbly as she pulled him into a hug. The little digimon couldn't help but blush and felt his heart beating fast. No words were said. The hug said all. Over the years they had forged a strong bond. Always being there for each other and comforting each other whenever they need it. They finally looked at each other but not breaking the hug and Gatomon finally spoke silently as the humans seemed to slow down along with the time around them.

"I was so worried about you Patamon. I felt useless. TK was fighting for his life, you were so broken and all I could do was watch and keep hoping for a miracle to happen. I'm glad it did happen," she said softly while closing her eyes. A soft pink tint appearing on her furry cheeks, though not very visible thanks to her fur.

Patamon also blushed softly. His heart still beating faster. It wasn't the first time he and Gatomon shared a hug, but this time it felt different. It felt so much deeper. A brand new feeling both were experiencing. The little digimon slowly moved his paw towards her cheek and gently touching it and caressing it. Gatomon felt her heart skipping a beat and let out a soft purr. Her eyes still closed like not wanting to break the moment if she would open them.

"You never left my side. Even if there was nothing we could do to help TK, even when I felt so useless not being able to help my partner, you remained by my side, and you tried to comfort me. Thank you Gatomon," He said softly.

Gatomon slowly opened her eyes only to find Patamon smiling at her with his characteristic innocent smile. That smile that somehow always made her smile and forget her problems even if it was just for a moment. She smiled back as they remained holding each other, enjoying themselves as a new feeling for each other was starting to build up.

"_...oh?" _was Veemon's silent thought, a smile forming on his reptilian features as he smugly chuckled to himself. Time around the two Digimon began moving sluggishly along again as they picked up their pace, special smiles on their faces as the reptilian turned around, his smile still intact as the group followed their new comrade, Giant Laxus.

Lurking silently and unnoticed in the shadows, in retrospect to the happy moment, was a sorrowful silhouette of an enormously girthed figure.

"_Do I follow the order or do I let them go... the fate of an entire race could be resting on this, either way!"_ Jimbei thought, silently following the group on their way back to the village for observation prior to action.

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p>Please <strong>Review!<strong>

The battle is over, and at last peace will reign on the Horai Peninsula, but why did Kama leave? Why does he intend on contending the Digidestined later? How will the Destined celebrate and escape with Smoker present? And most importantly,

**How did Angemon utilize a new technique?**

Find out next time, in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

**Side Note:** Finally, the first great test of the Destined is over! Where will they head next?

A/N: This was an awesome chapter to create! Kama has been struck and given up, Hitsuji and Hidan are defeated and awaiting arrest in the arena, and Angemon has displayed godly power! But why did I allow him to use a different technique in this? It'll be explained in the laid back, relaxation chapter up next!

My partner is amazing with the help on the Gato x Pato scene! :D

Next area in the Blackbeard search is going to be more dangerous than the Horai Peninsula, but to get there, a stop off is made. Can you guess what the New Spade Pirates obtain at this stop off point before the next part of the Great Blackbeard Search arc... feel free to guess.


	11. Spoils of Bravery

After a lengthy, physically taxing battle, our heroes follow Laxus back to his village, his frosty reception almost certain to be revoked as he will proudly announce his year long goal of releasing Rittorubiggu! What sorts of grand spoils await the Digidestined and Ace in the village of peaceful, productive Giants?

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**Spoils of Bravery**

_Somewhere out in the New World_

"_Shanks_... that name is a little nostalgic... so this is a letter from that Red Haired brat?" a very familiar, husky old voice breathed. The container of the voice was a very large, elderly body, sat snugly in a large chair on deck, surrounded and hooked to several pieces of medical equipment with nurses constantly checking his heart rate and applying catheters in his arms.

"Y-yeah!" Rockstar responded tentatively, "and it must have been important if he ordered me to deliver it!" he said shakily, concerned with the powerful members of the enemy crew that had encircled him onboard the Moby Dick.

"Congratulations, a small brat like you making it _this _far..."

Rockstar twitched, unable to fully stare back into those golden eyes, empowered by an intensity that seemed to surpass the sun itself. He looked slightly to his left, being met with a disapproving glare by one of the old man's nurses, who was busy switching a catheter in her patient's pulsating arm as it tensed to an unbelievable level of muscle intensity.

"N-not at all...!" he said, trying to look back at the piercing eyes, "it's my duty as one of the Red Hair Pirates!" he said slightly louder, before turning to Marco, who was sat to his right and interrupting his conversation with another Division Commander known as Fossa, "you've heard of the legendary Rockstar, right?"

"Nope~ can't say I have, why is that you, oi?" Marco's voice exuded sarcasm, but his frozen face made it almost impossible to say for sure if he was being serious or just messing around with his enemy.

"Hmmm, so you must be pretty high up the food chain..." the old man said with a slight scoff. "Gurararara!"

"Well... not exactly... I'm still new to the Red Hair Pirates; but I do have a bounty of 94 million berries!" he smiled proudly, but dropped it after the gigantic old man before him turned away and took a large swig from a barrel full of booze, almost berating the visitor with his actions alone, before he opened the letter in question, and began to read the contents with such an intense gaze, it was amazing the paper didn't erupt into several ashes.

_To Edward Newgate,_

_It's been a very long time, sorry for not writing or visiting peacefully ever since the captain's execution, but things have been wild in this rampant era. But back to the point, we have to talk soon about you're actions concerning one of your astray sons, Marshall D. Tea-_

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 04**)

**SHHH-RRRRIIIIPPPPPP!**

"He dares to send** me **a letter? When did that boy get so damn important, he thought he could just send **me** a letter?"

Rockstar gasped, bracing as he saw several of the crewmembers standing in unison and staring at the spiky haired swordsman with distain. But what Rocktar truly began to fear was a sudden surge of wind and darkened clouds, the booze inside the old man's barrel beginning to shake violently, almost in terror as it seemed to be pushed away from the gigantic body and the bear like palm clutching it unrestrained, almost threatening to break the barrel.

"W-what are y-y-you doing?" he shouted up toward the piercing eyes of gold, the black pupils now absorbing Rockstar's attention, almost like a black hole. "Do you realize how important that letter wa-"

"Be quiet, snot nosed brat!" he yelled, his grip on the barrel tightening like a vice as his eyes narrowed and his brows lowered, revealing his enraged veins leading from his brow line up to his black bandana; shaping a lined crease where the vein should have disappeared, "I already know what it'll say... who does that Redhead think he is, trying to piss me off by _letter?_"

"But why did you do that?... who do you think you are?"

"_**I AM WHITEBEARD!**_" he echoed throughout the surrounding vastness of the ocean, before placing his strained barrel to his lips and consuming all of it's contents in one swig. "go get your apparently important and self-proclaimed boss and tell him to face me with good booze!"

"**Now get lost, kid. This is where the big boys play.**" Whitebeard rasped angrily, a thunderclap accompanying his spiteful wrath as Rockstar began to flee toward his ship, the small vessel almost being blown away by violent winds and crushed by the turbulent sea.

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Unknown Winter Island<span>_

"Pahahahahaha!"

"_It's not funny, boss!" _a small Den Den Mushi receiver relayed to 'Red Haired' Shanks,_ "He insulted my honour!"_but the captain just couldn't help himself, continuing laghing along with his lively crew, who also laughed and made merry during a party hey were having on a very cold island of the New World.

"Forget your honour and come back, before he submerges you!" before any arguement could be made, he placed down the receiver on the Den Den Mushi and stood, garnering his crew's attention to him, "get ready to move out, we're going to pay Whitebeard a visit!"

"The Government isn't going to just stand aside while we do that, cap'n." A close subordinate scolded, his scarred face almost frozen by the blisteringly cold winds and his lengthy, grey locks blowing past and across his wrinkled, toned face and he held a rifle against his shoulder with a cigarette still burning as he puffed. He was wearing an aquatic blue cape emblazoned by several swirl patterns that covered his sleeveless, opaque shirt, running down into his lengthy green sash that blew in the wind at the tie of point, his cream coloured pants tucked into his crossed legs, with black boots ending the tall figures appearance. This was Vice Captain of the Red Hair Pirates, Benn Beckman.

"Who cares?" the captain smiled kindly, his scars unaffected by the smile as he reopened his eyes and lifted his lone right arm toward his ship in a demanding gesture, "we'll deal with them when the time comes!"

"Yeah~!" the crew shouted in unison as they began heading toward the dragon themed flagship, "We're going to battle, boys!" A fat member of the crew excitedly reassured, his mumbling muffled further by his chewing at a large meat rack in his right hand. He wore a green t-shirt with white vertical stripes on it, paired by a matching bandanna on his head, short beige pants with a dark green sash around his waist, and red shoes with fur around the ankles. He possessed a yellow coat draped over his shoulders like a cape, with a fur-lined collar and red epaulets with black stripes on them. This was Lucky Roo, one of 'Red Haired' Shanks' most trusted subordinates.

"Bring the best booze we have, and let's go to Whitebeard!"

_Battle Site_

"Now _this_... is a god send. 'Intricate Artist' Hitsuji, the 190 million berries, and his ally of the defected Devil's Cult members, the 140 million berries man of slaughter, 'Rap Sheet' Hidan Ryuuga." Tashigi stated as her men pulled Hidan out of the paper pit with the aid of Smoker's Plume-Plume Fruit, slapping on Sea Prism Cuffs to negate his Paper-Paper Fruit abilities as he writhed in unbearable agony at his burns.

Hitsuji, however, was unconscious after the great battle and was slapped with the specialised Devil Fruit user cuffs, being dragged off to the ship for relocation at Marine Base G8, Smoker's current headquarters. Hidan was walked off rather roughly, his struggling attributed to the severe charring across his body as two soldiers dragged him off.

"But where do you think their third ally has gone?" she rebutted, turning to face her superior in the epicentre of the chaotic battle site.

"..."

"Commodore Smoker?" she hissed slightly, earning a disgruntled glare from the cold eyes.

"He'll probably have left... I seriously doubt that a man worth 100 million berries is as foolish as those two; the third seemed to have some intelligence. If you ask me, his bounty should be at least double that amount, if the rumours surrounding him are true..."

"Should we pursue?"

"No, I prefer my men breathing, if it's all the same to you." He responded sarcastically, clasping his cigars and breathing out a large puff of smoke that seemed to have filled his infallible lungs, "Return to the ship, and pursue Ace and his crew at dawn. We always have the trump card to lead them into our hands..."

* * *

><p><em><span>The Forest Path towards<span>_

_Rittorubiggu_

(**Cue BGM: Top Epic OST's of all Times – New Beginnings**)

"I wanna stuff my face!" Mimi squealed in excitement, skipping alongside the sighing and giggling group as she past by with a twinkle in her eye, "hey, Laxus ~, does your village sell clothes? Or have baths?" she chimed as she skipped beside the husky Giant.

"Rittorubiggu is civilized, and we have only ta' finest tailors and weapon specialists, it was our way of living; we had tourists before... well-" his face darkened and became saddened, deterring Mimi from her skipping as she tried to come up with a reassuring line, before the Giant broke down in hysterics, "but that's all past, now! We even have a big bathhouse... but for ya' guys it'll be like a pool-" he was disarmed by Mimi's brightened smile, turning back to the path as the village gates he used to guard came in sight as they exited the woodland.

"Wait, if your civilised, why do you have elders and act and fight like barbarians?" Izzy queried, raising a husky laugh from the Giant.

"Well, we soldiers act like monsters for ta' times that pirates come. We had an elder, who promoted me to do it before the incident, to oversee ta' village security and get supplies, but that job has been left vacant in my absence. That's all; we're not all from El...baph..." he muttered, his eyes filling with sorrow as he came face to face with the gate he formerly guarded before Jife had accused him of allowing the invasion to happen at all by abandoning his post.

It was heavily rusted, much unlike the great, polished gate Laxus had left behind a year prior, with a large slash like opening left from Hidan's invasion, showing disregard to the village. Upon entering the opening, the group stared on, almost stunned at the scenery.

The village was encased by a large wall, heavily dented and chipped in areas, yet the village homes appeared heavily restored with shoddy equipment, shown by the tower like homes covered with a large cloth much alike a circus big top area, on the inside of the round cloth was the partially obscured sight of large, wooden homes, much like in a western movie, but with large doors designed after ancient Japanese folding screens.

"H-hey, ain't that...?"

"**LAXUS!**" A fellow Giant bellowed angrily from the street, running blindly at Laxus and raising his fist, simply being pushed far back by the Giant's prodigy like strength.

Taking a deep breath as he arched his back and lifted his head, he began to shout with a large smile:

"**Hitsuji and his allies have been beaten! Our friends here defeated t'em bravely in our stead!**"

"W-what... did he j-just say?" a female Giant murmured, exiting her home through the slide door with a baby in her arms, about the same size as two average adult humans, her husband exiting too and staring in shock, all of the neighbourhood soon exiting their homes and walking towards the group, some even crying happily, "please tell me your not kiddin', Laxus..." he sneered.

"No, it is true!" the unrecognized elder announced, several smiles and tears forming on the faces of the inhabitants of the village.

"**WE'RE FREE!**"

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Ritorubiggu Bar<span>_

The group were very tired, and being bamboozled by praise and spoils seemed a worthy reward for their efforts, suddenly finding themselves dragged to a local tavern in the village; a place that had been sealed during the hostile reign, but specially reopened as the food and drink flowed out for the Digidestined and their Digimon, all of whom that were recuperating having been released from the Digivices; Hawkmon being the centre of attention due to his miraculous recovery in the Digivice.

Tai was gnawing euphorically on a plate full of meat racks, looking over diligently to spot TK and Kari exchanging a delicate kiss, almost instinctively making him freeze in silent rage at his younger sister's tender embrace. He looked away and spotted Davis talking to Ken and Yolei in tranquil, respectful manner as he sat across the large, chestnut table with an un-gloved hand full of pizza in his grasp, laughing as the cheese threatened to fall and Davis chomped it nervously in mid air, the other Destined laughing heavily and looking at each other.

Noticing Ace's absence, Tai rose out of his miniature stool chair, and headed out in search of Ace, who had seemed to vanish just before the group were dragged to the former guest hotspot for humans, the tavern.

_Market District_

"You can actually do that in three days?" Ace said, rather happy with the news he had just received at one of the circus tent style homes with a large sign over it, saying in rather gaudy handwriting: 'Carpenter's Store'.

"Oh, my yes, youngin'. I can have such an order done by then, it isn't exactly Giants class size, so it should be fine." The rather slim, undeveloped Giant responded, wiping his sweaty forehead with a green rag beside him; his lengthy grey locks pushed aside to reveal the ravaging of his elderly age.

"Hahaha... to think you guys opened up so warmly to the first humans to come her in a year." He responded, scratching the back of his head, pushing his hat up slightly as he smirked. His body did have light bruises, but such things seemed mundane compared to the Digimon's wounds, and as such, he left them to heal naturally, whilst the others received treatment.

"Oh, that's not true!" the ancient carpentry expert stated, "We've had in total about five humans and a sickly horse in the past year, but one was badly wounded on his own by the three monsters, while the others came in a group."

"Oh?" Ace hummed with an attentive look dawning upon him, "what about the other four and this... horse?"

"Well, they're the reason for the damaged barrier around the village. You see, one was a Devil Fruit user, and he made dock at the shoreline. The three went to do their usual devious deeds; offering him a place with them... and, well..." he trailed off, once more wiping his forehead with the large, green flannel, "from hat I heard, he destroyed them in a fight, on his own. He and his crew revealed they were pirates, stole the tribute from the last year, and set off on a ghastly raft made of logs."

"How much tribute did this guy steal?"

"About 14 million, taken from work and the sweat of our brows so we could live for a month longer before next tribute. What surprised me is that the man didn't look powerful, but he was rather fat, and had this awfully strange laugh... it was something like; Zehahaha." The carpenter mimicked, looking down to spot Ace looking almost furious and relieved at the same time, making a strange, twitching face at the old Giant.

"Did he have a black beard, or missing teeth?" he snapped.

The old man scoffed at the less than respectful approach, but answered anyway, "Actually, from what I heard, he had both. It's been over a week now, and the insane duo of the three got violent afterwards, with clear signs of damage, even though they were untouchable to us or L-... Elder Laxus."

"_I have a... lead! This is great!"_

"Where is this injured guy then, old man?" he asked with a warmer, almost ecstatic tone.

"Over there, in the infirmary tent... it's apparently been trouble enough to treat someone that small..." he muttered, ignorant of Ace, who had already begun taking steps toward the tent to see this patient.

* * *

><p><em><span>Tavern<span>_

"Hey, hey! What's with the blush, Patamon?" Davis happily cheered across the table, "is the food that good?" he chuckled drunkenly. Patamon silently sighed in relief, as he and Gatomon had been exchanging deep, piercing looks to each other in a delicate manner, unknowing that Veemon had already noticed, and also of the slight smile the blue reptile sported as he gnawed on a meat rack.

TK twitched at Davis's laugh, misinterpreting its intended target as being him, for his heavily bandaged chest, as Kari stared at the brown haired youth with a blank expression in the place of her spiteful eyes, much to the injured blonde's chagrin. He grumbled lightly as he stood, exclaiming an excuse that he need fresh air, but subtly signalled to Davis to follow by tugging at his collar with his right hand; a sign the two had developed early in their friendship, during their operation to rescue Kari and Gatomon in Cyber City.

Davis maintained his cheerful appearance, but felt a strong pull towards the blonde's invitation, waiting for 5 minutes before claiming his meat rack caught up with him, immeadiatly making the others move out of his way without question as he subtly exited and followed the blonde to the outside of the bar, where he stood with burning eyes.

"Well?" the fiery tempered youth questioned, "what is it, TK?"

"I want us to come to an accord, for the sake of the team. Let's face it, we're weak when divided..." he muttered softly, grinding his teeth as he quivered in silent humiliation.

Davis stared on, rather stunned by what his rival had just said. Had he just erased all of his memories from a month prior?

"Tell Kari the _**truth**_, and then I'll forgive you. It's partly my fault for kicking you in the soccer game... even if it was an accident, I did put some jealous force into it... but _you_..."

(**Cue BGM: Sadness and Sorrow**)

"I WAS JEALOUS OF YOU!" TK interjected as he lowered his head angrily, clutching at his chest as his breathing became infrequent, "do you understand what it's like, to know you're in the backseat; to watch your friends follow someone like you, get hurt, and not even listen to my idea's on how to approach a problem?" his face darkened, "you... you are a unique person, incapable of thinking before acting... you help without reward, you attack without defence... and I began to hate you for still being assigned as leader of the group, even though you're a useless dunce!"

"..." Davis didn't budge, but stared piercingly at the injured blonde as he began to keel over under the strain of his exhaustion; he was overexerting himself, and his wounds became painful as he spoke, "just tell me... why would you trick Kari and Yolei at the game into thinking I was a jerk?"

A lengthy silence passed between the two, TK beginning to well up with anger and humiliation, before he felt a soothing sensation, Kari's face and memory flashing before him.

"I love her... I have for the longest time, and I tried, and tried... and _tried_ so hard to win her heart, before we separated as Junior's and never saw each other for two years... and when I saw her at last... she was dazzling to behold, a true diamond in the rough. Just as we were Digidestined, I thought we were fated to be together... I wanted to ask the day I joined in Junior High... but then, **you** appeared." He ended coldly, raising his slanted, pained face to look directly at Davis, who stared back rather awkwardly, his mouth opened, but not one word being formed as he recalled that day.

"_Alright, class! Settle down!" the teacher yelled, his students sitting in the classroom filled with conjoined desks. Davis remembered his viewpoint on that day, as he sat beside Kari, across two desks with a walkway between them as she conducted her usual parrying of Davis's feelings, "We have a new member of the class! Although I introduce him now as Master Takeru Takaishi, he told me he prefers the nickname, TK. Treat him well!"_

_..._

"_Together again!" TK chimed with a smile across his face, pulling out his chair with one hand and removing his hat with the other._

"_Yup! Together again!" she replied happily as well, her eyes closed and a slight rose tint appearing on her face, Davis sitting behind them with a gaping mouth and locked nerves; he was a statue of surprise._

_..._

"_Need some help?" TK bellowed atop Pegasusmon, flying through Cyber City in the rescue operation to retrieve Kari early in the second journey. Davis was right behind him, also yelling this and other pleasantries to the stranded girl as Flamedramon deactivated a reprogrammed Guardromon._

"_TK, Davis! You're just in time!"_

_..._

"—_did you hear about Davis?"_

"—_he got refused by Kari!"_

"—_he wasn't refused; he was shot down without mercy!"_

"—_how heartless..."_

"—_I always knew she liked that TK guy..."_

"—_they must be in on it, making fun of poor Davis!"_

_These were the classroom rumblings and not so quiet whispers all around Kari and TK at lunch break a few months ago. Davis had finally plucked up his courage and asked Kari on a date, but had been refused lightly, not that the rumour spreaders cared about her kind let down, saying she was malicious in shooting him down._

"_Davis... you couldn't just stay quiet?" TK said, grinding his teeth as he ate lunch beside a distraught and emotionally challenged Kari, barely eating as she look down from the glares, "see what you've done to her?" he said, knowing full well that Davis was not present in the cafeteria area, as just the two sat alone at their table. This instance would later make its way back to Davis, who apologised endlessly to the two. He knew that it was probably this that spurned Kari's love away from him and to TK._

_But he never learned of TK's deep thoughts of hatred, "If I can somehow get her away from Davis and get her to accept my love... maybe I can cease her pain... but how...?" _

_..._

"You mean... you did it because of some stupid rumour?" he asked, somewhat angrily at the mediocrity of the excuse, but deep down, realising it was indeed valid; whether intentional or not, he had hurt the girl TK loved so deeply, "that and you felt... jealous of _me?_"

TK didn't respond, simply staring at the ground with such intensity behind his sapphire eyes that the soil should have burned in the village of Giants.

"But... I've been jealous of you... you have a great life, you have great friends... you have Kari... what do I have?" he said, his eyes saddening as they narrowed, "a dysfunctional family, the responsibility of peoples lives... and the hatred from you two... that stings the most."

(**End Music**)

Davis turned back with a scoff, batting his eyes angrily as he began to take a brisk pace back toward the tavern, as he felt TK's eyes on his back.

"Tell her. She deserves that much; from you... give her what I couldn't accept. Be true to her, TK." He said as he re-entered the establishment, a happy cheer resuming in the group as TK stared into space; thinking deeply about his next move.

* * *

><p><em><span>Infirmary Tent<span>_

"So, his name is Marina Espia, you say?" Ace chided as he stared down on the bandaged man lying beside him, both atop a large bed spread that was around five times to large to accommodate them. The somewhat smaller but still large old Giant nodded in response, wiping his hands on his white apron and rubbing the sweat from his wrinkled brow and bald patch.

The bed ridden man possessed short, well kempt hair with a large black beard tied into a long braid and released at the end, showing unkempt, untrimmed and where the untied strands were. His garb consisted of a long, crimson red vest that extends into a robe at the back. On the front, it is shown to be held together by a single, intricately designed golden broach in the shape of a seagull on the head. He also possessed a scar just above his left brow that extended across his forehead, partially concealed by a blue bandana with yellow polka dots intersecting all around his head.

"I think he was a pirate before we found him, because our scouts found the destroyed remains of a ship a week ago with a black flag floating beside it, torn to shreds." The elderly Giant inferred, rather conspicuous as to the man's true background, "by the way, does that mark on your back mean-"

"W-who are... you?" Marina breathed, raising himself with difficulty as Ace looked back at him with a cheerful face, looking rather relieved as he crouched down and came face to face with the injured man.

"Name's Portgas D. Ace, nice to meet you!" he extended his hand, feeling more relief as the tense and shaky palm shook his, "I have need of a good man for my crew, if I want to reach the next stop on my journey, Utile Town."

"You... want me to join you?" he scoffed, closing his eyes and beginning to laugh painfully, "Is this really how you greet every deserted pirate?"

"Yeah, but I don't care about your past; my current crew and ship aren't strong enough, so I was thinking of getting some new comrades to aid me in my search of a man, and Utile Town is the place where I can get both leads and another comrade or two. You should have guessed that you'll be officially part of the Whitebeard Pirates should you join, but I do need someone with experience at piracy, so what do you say, old man Espia?"

* * *

><p><em><span>Tailor's<span>_

"Mimi! That looks great on you!" Sora, Yolei and Kari praised as they looked on at the strawberry blonde's new outfit. They were at a specialised tailor, with a small changing room for normal human guests as the girl exited from behind a curtain.

She was now wearing a red dress that extended down to her ankles, with rosy frill patterns sewn into it, forming a rising vine with the final rose blooming at the neckline, giving the depiction that Mimi was a blossom. She had her hair tied back in a sing pigtail, exactly as she had back on her first travel, and wore white leather boots with black laces. She also had gained a necklace from the village treasury, wrapping around her thin neck and having a pendant attached with a cross that separated at the ends and formed a vine around itself in an intricate design upon real silver.

"Thanks! Sora, you're up!" she chimed, pushing her friend through the curtain she had just exited from.

...

"Ummm... w-well, here I am..." came her soft whisper, reeling back the curtain as Mimi and Kari stared at her, their eyes sparkling with amazement.

"Sora!" Mimi squeled as she began running up and down her friend's body with inspecting eyes, "Aren't we sexy?" she smiled devilishly, forcing her best friend to blush and look away.

She wore short, silver denim pants, cut off just above the knees, showing off her rather spindly legs before reaching down into a pair of pure white laced sandals, twisting from her ankle and being tied off at her calves. Her shirt was open necked, revealing her poignant collar bone but being cut off by a button on her brown polo shirt, the collar's blue hue folded over to outline the cut off view of her cleavage, and her straightened, orange hair curled at the tips with a special hairpin applied at the divide; Tai's hairpin from years gone by.

"And to think you used to wear T-shirts and jeans!" Mimi scolded slightly as she investigated her friend, her dress fluttering as she continuously circled Sora, "what a travesty!"

...

"K-Kari...!" the outspoken strawberry blonde heaved with her jaw dropped and her mouth gaping wide open as the younger girl came back out, followed by the exit of Yolei from behind the curtain, also looking rather stellar in her own way.

The brunette wore a gallant dress, just like Mimi, however this one possessed epaulets attached to her overlaying shoulder pattern, as it curved over itself like a constricting serpent until it reached a small brace that fell down her rather small shoulders and released several of the golden epaulets over her light crimson dress, running down to her knees, where it lead to a pair of beige boots, tightened by intersecting leather straps that formed a pyramid shape around her ankles. She held her short hair now in a small, light pink braid and a small belt that was a brown version of Ace's, but the emblazoned ace was replaced instead by a small floral design, forming a rose in the centre.

Yolei, on the other hand, was now wearing smaller, more intricately designed glasses, with a light pink tendril vine design on a pure rim that elongated into her lavender hair, which partially concealed her ears. She now possessed a contrasting dark blue headband, but now also possessed a lengthy, crimson silk braid that fluttered as she moved. She wore a light blue denim jacket attached with golden broaches that almost concealed her white T-shirt that read 'mace' across her now slightly more pronounced chest. She wore a slightly shorter, purple skirt than Kari's dress, ending about mid way up her thighs, but were accompanied by lengthy black boots that rose a little above her knees, unfortunately leaving little to the imagination for the boys when they returned from the weapons store.

"Okay, these will do, please!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Margrove's Weapon Store<span>_

"Hey, can you tell me how much your best sword costs?" Davis yelled like a giddy child, receiving a curious glare from the relatively short statured Giant that owned the store, quickly rising into a curt smile.

"The best sword I have here is a little out of your size range and money reach, kiddo. It'd cost about 30 million usually... but..." the wrinkled face began to overlap itself as the husky man sighed. He wore a buttoned white shirt with folded forearms, and a black vest that ran down to his black pants and noir boots.

"But what?" Davis quickly asked.

"I have another... but it's like a priceless treasure to me. I got it during one of my travels in my youth... do you know what a Wazamono blades are?"

"...oh!" Matt attentively responded, recalling a conversation he and Ace had on the ship two days before...

_"Once we make landfall, we'll be sure to visit one of the sword smiths there. Although you may not believe it, Giants are skilled in there craft, and can create some of the finest blades for any size... now that I think about it, the Peninsula always had a rumour surrounding it of creating two of the Wazamono blades..."_

"I think I should let you have it, as payment for driving that gang away... but, alas, the sword possesses a cursed power long since sealed within itself for generations. I have indeed managed to make two Fine Grade blades, but that one is a Fantastic Grade Sword, the second highest grade a sword can get."

"You can trust it with me... how can I get it off of you?" Davis re-inferred, slightly excited at the prospect of a cursed blade to practise and become stronger with.

"..." Margrove remained deafly silent for a lengthy period, his eyes almost analyzing Davis until finally he broke his silence, "kid... I've decided, I'll give you the sword... but you have to practise with me so I can see if you can handle the sword."

"_That's helpful, do it, Davis."_

"Ace!" Davis turned, coming face to face with his captain and a strange figure in a red, his eyes narrowed almost angrily and his arms and forehead bandaged, "who's he?"

"A new crewmate." Ace said flatly, almost uncaringly as he turned to face the rest of the boys present in the store; Joe, Matt, Tai, Izzy, Cody and TK looking on amazedly at the proposed new crewmate of Ace's and, by extension, them.

"Ace... are you sure about this? He looks kinda-" Izzy gasped and almost swallowed his tongue as both the captain and the shifty man in red glared at him, Tai helping him up after with a more timid but still confused look.

"Why are you letting him practise? Don't we have to go?" he said as he helped Izzy off of the ground, "we do have to find a way back, you know. That's why we came with you!" he lied convincingly, knowing that he and his friends were sealed until war came around. In truth, he was travelling with Ace for a better chance of finding the trigger of the war and ending it quickly for the safety of his friends.

"No. We're going to stay here for a few days..."

"But why?" Tai bellowed back.

"Just wait and see, come on, Marina. We have to plot out a course." Ace said quietly, walking out with the strange character into the now packed and reinvigorated streets of Rittorubiggu, as the boys stared on, speechless.

* * *

><p><em><span>Three Days Later<span>_

"Thrust, Davis! Thrust!" Margrove yelled at his new student, ordering him to thrust his blade faster at a straw doll as a muscle building exercise while Veemon sat nearby on a tree branch, watching his partner's obvious increase in stamina as he became covered by sweat, but being unable to part his mind with that memory of Gatomon and Patamon secretly getting closer. Sure, he was pleased for the small Digimon, but at the same time, felt rather cold and unwanted. He snapped back into reality as Margrove shouted again, "okay, that is enough!"

Davis thanked his master before walking towards the tree Veemon was planted on, with the small reptilian jumping down and making pleasantries with his partner, but immeadatly complimenting Davis on his taste in swords.

The Fantastic Grade blade was known as the 'Inugami', a black rimmed blade with a pure crimson edge lining throughout the lengthy blade. The handle was tightly wrapped within a blackened cloth, concealing a golden interpretation of a Doberman spitting fire. The guard was shaped into an interlocking spiral with red indentations.

"DAVIS!" a voice yelled, revealing itself to be Kari's.

Kari and Davis had over the three days sat down and talked about the incident at the soccer match and subsequent fight in the park, with Kari acknowledging rather sadly that she had overreacted, and that TK had confronted her with the truth. She admitted that she didn't dump him, but is wearier about him than ever, as he had begun acting strangely.

"Ace came back! Come to the dock!" she heaved, after running a fair distance in a fashionable dress.

* * *

><p><em><span>Rittorubiggu Pier<span>_

"What... is that?" Davis announced sceptically, as he came face to face with a large cloth that floated upon the sea, Laxus gripping it with excitement in his eyes. He came side to side with the rest of the Destined, who also stared on excitedly at the cloth, already having guessed what it contained.

"This is our new ship, the **Stryker Dawn**!" Ace replied with Marina beside him, a small grin forming on the newest members face as Ace pointed at Laxus with a large smile, "pull it off-"

"Why even try to set sail? Didn't I say I'd be back, 'Fire Fist'?" an echo proclaimed.

Looking around the area, the group noticed nothing in the trees, but focused as they spotted a dark cloud moving in overhead, wincing as the cloud began moving and ploughed itself into the ground before them, the veil of smoke clearing away with a pulse, revealing an agitated Smoker, with Tashigi and other Marines following suit from the woodland.

* * *

><p>Please <strong>Review!<strong>

Just when the crew managed to make some headway, Smoker has appeared! How will they and their newest member, Marina Espia, fair? And just where is Jimbei?

Find out next time, in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

A/N: And there it stands, folks. We are about to enter a serious story environment from which the Digidestined cannot turn back or falter. They may be hated by the Marines and known throughout the world, but at the core, they are still children. Can they bear the responsibility and training program assigned to them, or will they perish under hesitation?

We will find out, as we close in on Blackbeard in a hunt that may bring more terror and darkness then the Destined had bargained for...


	12. What!

Finally, the time for the search recommences, with both sides hiding their true intents in the hunt. But before they can set sail to Utile Town, they must somehow escape the notorious 'White Hunter'. Can they defeat an unprecedented _third_ Logia, or will they be swallowed by the ever gaping jaws of death?

A/N: If anyone wants a visualization of the Stryker Dawn, think of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean, only with sight changes to the overall design.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**What?**

_Digital Realm: Azulongmon's Shrine_

"M-my lord Sovereign!" Gennai bellowed as he ran into a sacred temple, entering a room of the purist white, where the great dragon Digimon was resting, the room suddenly becoming consumed by mist, concealing Gennai's own feet from himself.

"Yes, Gennai. You are pleased with the Digidestined progress as well, I see." The masked dragon echoed heavenly, his voice filled with wisdom and his ghostly body twisted and twirled, rattling the chains that seemed to confine his form.

"They are making _astounding_ progress!" the wizened young man responded, bowing to a single knee in his white robe, "even the humans are. Davis at his current proficiency with a sword could parry a Ninjamon on his own; a _Champion-level_. I'm expecting amazing things to come, but they will be sending me messages, as Angemon unlocked an ancient power of the Digicore..."

The snake like, omniscient being's eye's dialated, showing great surprise, "You mean... the **Ambitious Charge**?" as his eternal follower nodded in acknowledgment, the great, white beard that trailed from beneath his mask rose, inferring he was smiling slightly.

"Things on the resistance aren't looking to good though, my lord... lord Zhuqiaomon was injured in the last charge to reclaim the Primary Village's contaminated site. All we can hope to do is await the children's return."

"I have peered into the future, and have seen the ferocity of the great battle in the world of dreams... it is a terrifying thing to behold... especially this 'Edward Newgate' character... he terrifies even me!"

"...My lord... do the children actually have a chance of coming back?"

"With the power of unity and friendships... I should hope only a week of repelling _him _is all that is required... I **hope**..."

* * *

><p><em><span>Rittorubiggu Pier<span>_

"Damn it... why now?" TK hissed quietly, clutching at a common sword he had obtained over the three day rest period, although he had vanished before anyone could notice if he was versed in its use. Suddenly, he also reached for his Digivice, with the other Destined capable also pulling out their Digivices, and ordering in disconjoined harmony;

**Realize, Hawkmon!**

**Realize, Gatomon!**

**Realize, Armadillomon!**

**Realize, Patamon!**

**Realize, Wormmon!**

The overbearing light began to fade, recessing at the five figures of the Digimon, Veemon also stepping before the Marines as they and Espia stared on in amazement.

"Captain, what the hell are these things?" he shouted, pointing the tip of his cutlass toward the small group of accumulated Digimon, Ace simply smiling before offering an answer.

"Our crewmates, and powerful ones." He stated bluntly, readjusting his hat over his eyes and pointing at Laxus, who still held the tarpaulin sheet, "Laxus, pull that thing off and get back to your village!"

Obeying the command, the Giant clenched his fists around the tarp and threw it upwards, running back to his village with a smile on his face, the Marines and the New Spade Pirates distracted by the brilliant ship before them and not taking notice of the Giant's escape or final farewell before disappearing out of sight.

The Stryker Dawn was a large meticulous Brig style ship with a twin pair of gargantuan masts, the one preceding being of a slightly greater size, with the Jolly Roger of a skull wearing Ace's hat was engulfed in flame, emblazoned upon an ace design. The prow had a unique design, the figurehead undermining it resembling of a sea snake with a cannon protruding from its mouth.

"That's... for us?" Joe breathed, chuckling sceptically as he stared on at the much larger ship, "Ace, how did you?"

"Spare money, leave it at that," he replied flatly, before returning his gaze to Smoker and his Marines, "so who gets who?" he said, his gaze already ruling out any possibility of another calling shotgun on fighting Smoker. They had seen enough Logia for the meantime, and sighed quietly as the boys raised their swords and the girls slowly and timidly began backtracking toward the ship.

"**GO, MEN!**" Smoker shouted, a thunderous roar following from his rear as stomps accompanied the stampeding battalion of Marines, some bearing guns and blades as the pirates tensed and heightened their fighting stance, the Digimon preparing to fight in their Rookie forms and Ace flaring up, quite literally, as he shot by both groups in a fiery rocket form, colliding with his chosen enemy and erupting into a rising pillar of intertwining smoke and fire.

Raising his black blade, Davis smiled arrogantly as he began to take a brisk pace toward the charging Marines, twisting the blade above his head and holding it in a reverse grip above his head, "Now, take a look at the power of Inugami!"

**CLANG!**

A ferocious downward slash by Tashigi was parried and held in a stalemate by Davis, who winced as the girl stared up in agonized fury, "You...scum!" she released her Shigure from the stalemate and spun, attempting a side slash, but meeting resistance as Davis barely jumped over the blade edge and forced down on the sword with all his weight focused in one foot, holding it down with the tip stuck in the soil as the girl stared at him again distastefully for a moment, "pirates don't deserve swords of this calibre!" she screeched.

"But I do have it; what'll you do about it?" he challenged, Veemon and the others staring on at the situation as a burst of fire spurted from the aerial battle of Logias, refocusing and commencing in a defensive stand for the Stryker Dawn.

* * *

><p><em><span>Stryker Dawn<span>_

"We have to help somehow!" Yolei shouted, her bow and loose bandana blowing in the wind pressure released by Ace and Smoker in their aerial battle, "we have to help... somehow..."

"How?" Mimi snapped, pointing at Yolei agitated from across the oak deck as her braided strawberry blonde locks also blew in the wind, "we're useless compared to the boys! We should just stay here!"

"She's right... especially about us two... without our Digimon, this world is too much for us to handle..." Sora sadly concurred, turning back toward the battle site as the Digimon, Digidestined boys and Ace all fought valiantly for the safety of the girls and the new ship.

"_Do you need my assistance to escape?"_

* * *

><p><em><span>Rittorubiggu Pier<span>_

**CLANG! TWANG! CLANG!**

The clashing of blades and explosive fallout from the above battle had really livened up the pier area, almost as much as the fire pillar had three days and nights previously. Davis parried Tashigi with obvious superiority than the blocking contest from their first fight. Margrove had indeed aided Davis in his attempts to master as fine a blade as Inugami; and yet Davis stil showed discontent if the blade struck too hard, as if the blade had a mind of its own.

The Digimon showed little trouble in dispatching enemies for brief periods, due to their superior capabilities and in some cases aerial superiority. The other Digidestined attempted to follow Davis's lead; but their skills paled in comparison, as they neither had the training nor the advanced blade. Still, they had managed to hold their own, even if no offence could be made without more training.

However, one thing held the entire group back; they were neither prepared nor willing to injure or kill any of the Marines, as it seemed to be an unwritten taboo among them. Others also showed struggle in physically holding off the well trained Navy forces. Izzy was a clear sufferer of this, as he didn't have the physical dexterity of the others.

Izzy was swinging wildly with his sword, but felt a chill in his nape, turning nervously as he spotted a Marine in mid air with a downward thrust in preparation to kill Izzy, the red haired prodigy instinctively placing his sword at the apex of the attempted attack, but the force being to great for his legs, pushing him to the ground as the Marine prepare to attack the prone, unnerved Destined, as tears welled in his eyes from fear.

"**IZZY!**" Mimi screeched, having to be held back by the other three girls onboard the Stryker Dawn as she tried jumping off toward him.

It was because of this scream that the others turned to see the unfolding scene, time almost slowing down and the sound of the Marines mellowing out as the sword came closer and closer to stabbing Izzy in his chest as he crossed his arms in futile defence.

**SHUNK!**

And then the other were forced to watch as blood clouded the surrounding area of Izzy; Mimi beginning to hyperventilate at the sight and the others having mixed reactions, some shocked and angry at the... now flying Marine?

The Marine was flying away from Izzy, soaring motionlessly through the air with his blood trailing from his chest and some of it staining Izzy, as the others remained silent, relieved and regretful at the same time, as a man was possibly slain before them.

Beside Izzy, a personage seemed to form out of the air, almost flitting into existence with skid marks around his feet, a loud 'clank' sounding as he placed his cutlass into the sheath with purpose. The person became clearer, helping Izzy to his feet with an emotionless appearance.

"That guy!" Tai yelled, pointing with his sword at Marina, the supposedly new crewmate, immediately retracting his complaints and resuming his sword fight with another Marine, but keeping a vigilant glance on the red robed pirate as he pulled his cutlass out once more, looking at Izzy with concern written not in his face, but his faded green eyes. Almost like the eyes of the dead.

"Are you able to continue?" he questioned flatly, staring with narrowed eyes over to the writhing Marine he had just stopped.

"Y-yes... thank y –" before he could thank him, Marina had leapt almost like a jet toward the Marines trying to encircle the ship, initiating a strange technique that seemed to baffle everyone.

His cutlass seemed to bend and vibrate from side to side like a chainsaw, surprising the group once more as he mowed through the group and defeated several of them at one time.

* * *

><p><em><span>Stryker Dawn<span>_

*pant*pant*pant*

"Mimi! Breathe!" Sora cried as she knelt down beside her best friend on deck, rubbing her constantly rising and falling back, "Izzy's fine! That Marina guy saved him, so please... breathe!" as she said this, she felt the tense, tearing being keeled over begin to relax and cough slightly, showing her lungs were finally receiving air again, much to the girls relief.

"Anyway, we need to get the others on the ship, right now!" Kari bellowed, marching over to the portside of the deck, trying to yell at the others, but being ignored due to the vigour of battle and Ace and Smoker's overbearingly loud battle above them.

"Idiots," Yolei hissed, rising from beside Mimi and joining Kari at the portside, hurling abuse at the boys, "get your dumbasses up here!"

"This is getting us nowhere..." Sora whispered to herself, a teared up Mimi sitting beside her and looking up at the redhead blankly, "I'll go tell them myself!" before any response could be made, the bearer of Love had run by the group of girls and down the board that connected the ship to the land, safe in the knowledge that Mimi was now safe.

* * *

><p><em><span>Rittorubiggu Pier<span>_

"**Vee Headbutt!**" the blue reptilian yelled, tackling the final Marine attempting to attack the Digimon, allowing them to regroup with the humans, who had also defeated their enemies... apart from Davis, of course. He was far too focused and enveloped in his battle with the powerful swordsman, Tashigi.

Tashigi's skills and overall ability seemed to have trebled after she became enraged, seeing Davis with the Inugami blade.

However, they needed to retreat eventually, and so they decided to grab him when they had separated...

**BOOOSSSHHH!**

Behind them, Ace made a landing, showing signs of exhaustion as the flames that erupted around him diffused and left him standing in his natural form, watching the smoke circle in the air mockingly, suddenly deviating its course and travelling toward an occupied and unaware Davis, an arm holding a jutte forming in the cloud as it travelled closer to Davis, swinging to hit the young boy in the face as his eyes dilated.

**SMACK!**

The jutte strike drew blood, broadly striking across the defending Ace's face and sending him flying a great distance, showing great physical strength on Smoker's part as the young captain slid across the dirt towards the group of young swordsman.

Noticing Davis's lack of attentiveness, Tashigi bargained on a final move that would exhaust her if she failed. Pushing the black blade aside from a deadlock, she crouched and spun dazedly, slashing her blade before Davis's chest, without actually touching him, "**Kamaitachi.**" She heaved, releasing the silver slash attack at point blank range to her opponent, sending him flying backwards toward the group along with Ace, a spurt of blood being spat out as he soared through the air and landed hard on the ground.

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 05**)

"**GUYS, GET ON THE SHIP!**" a soft voice contrastingly yelled with spite, almost enraged as Sora approached the group as fast as she could.

"Sora?" Matt mumbled, rubbing the scrapes he had obtained on his arm with a confused look on his face.

"What is she?" Gatomon purred, covered in obvious scrapes of her own, standing beside Patamon, much to Veemon's silent enjoyment at how blasé they were being within the group.

**KYYYAAAAAA!**

The redhead screamed, a faint plume that had surrounded her tightening like a vice around her, pulling her toward Smoker at an amazing speed, while Matt stared on in silent fury as his girlfriend was reeled in by Smoker, now holding her struggling body above his converted right arm and jutte.

"You... bastard!" Matt spat, beginning a furiously blind charge at the Logia, uncaring of the obvious trap the devious Commodore had set, nor the smoke plume enveloping his feet, tightening around his ankles and lifting him toward Smoker, who proceeded to slam him into the ground nice and hard, with Matt having the wind knocked out of him.

"Now come here, kiddies, or I'll tighten my grip!" he shouted and, being true to his word, made the smoke thicker, and somehow applying pressure to the captured couple, with screams agonizing the boys and girls who stared on, the Digimon's minds clouded as to how to release his grip...

**GGGGGRRRRRRPPPPPPPP~**

**AAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!**

**KKKKYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!**

Before he knew it, Tai had snapped, raising his sword wildly as he ran toward Smoker, heedless of the cries from the other Destined, Digimon and Ace; Marina staring on with his mouth gaping wide but no words of discouragement being formed.

Jumping high, Tai prepared a downward slash on Smoker, the two captives clenching in pain, with Tashigi staring on in astonishment, "Fool, you can't hit the Commodore."

_I feel... strange... fuzzy... __**strong**__..._ Tai thought as his blade lowered toward the already diffusing Smoker, who had a smirk that was emphasised by his two cigars...

(**End Music**)

**SSSHHHHUUUUNNNKKKK!**

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 14**)

...

"**WHAT!**" Tashigi screeched as her eyes widened watching the red spray sent hurdling toward the floor beneath the four, followed by two singing cigars...

Blood struck the ground below Smoker from a sword wound on the right edge of his collar bone extended onto his pectoral, as he dropped the two lovers from his smoky grasp, clasping at his wound and tightening his grip around his jutte as a pain redirector. Staring back at Tai, he shot an icy, deathly glance that pierced the astounded boy; rather than be defeated by Logia defences during his blind rage, he had actually _struck _him.

"H-h-h-how!" Davis barked; clutching at his chest from the earlier blast of wind Tashigi had managed to defeat him with earlier, turning to Ace, noticing the captain's stunned expression as he seemed to mutter something.

"He used... **Haki?**" he heard in between the mumblings.

Tai shouted at the group telling them to get on the ship quickly, with Matt and Sora following closely behind him, Sora essentially being dragged by Matt's hand as she struggled to keep up, amazed at both boys vitality.

* * *

><p><em><span>Stryker Dawn Deck<span>_

"Okay, we're all here, now what?" Ken stated rhetorically.

"Well... we heard this voice, and it said it'd help us escape if we got you back on the ship... whoa!" Yolei gasped and shook, clutching onto Ken for ballast as the ship seemed to tremble, with the sea water beneath the keel forming ripples as the ship began moving on its own; seemingly free of all aid.

"It... couldn't be..." Ace mumbled to himself, the crew facing him in disarray over the current occurrences, staring at him in cluelessness as his mouth began to curve into a tight smile as he looked back, "raise the sails, and follow this... current!" he barked, Marina instantly taking the task upon himself and climbing upward on the forward mast, pulling with seeming ease on a knot, undoing it and pulling down hard, raising the sails one by one as the others braced while the ship sped up.

"What's happening?" Mimi questioned, "Ace!"

"The sea is our ally, it has many sons!" the captain replied unhelpfully, confusing the dolled up girl more as the ship began to increase in speed, Marina having succeeded in raising the sails alone and jumping down to the deck with no signs of trembling or shakiness on the ship.

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Rittorubiggu Pier<span>_

"Bastard..."

"C-Commodore, you shouldn't move, it'll scar! We'll get that kid later!" Tashigi consoled, still shocked at the sight of Smoker being struck by Tai.

"Not him! This wound is no problem!" he belleowed back, staring soul blazingly at the sea ripples that had stolen the New Spade Pirates from right before him, "that Shichibukai bastard!"

"?"

* * *

><p><em><span>Stryker Dawn Deck<span>_

"Okay, so then... why did that just happen?" Cody bellowed, beginning to adjust to the evening pace of the ship, as Ace looked back from his seated position beside the banister above them, Marina concentrated on the steering.

"Ask our guardian angel..." he strided over to the edge of the ship and looked downward into the sea, "Oi! Jimbei!"

The sea seemed to twist, and a rising pillar of sea water edged over the sid of the ship, landing on the deck in a small, compressed bubble of water, bursting and revealing the girth of Jimbei, who stood up and walked toward the shocked group.

"What is that thing?" Kari said.

"Hey, don't be racist, Kari –"

"It is fine, Ace. We Fishmen are used to such reactions..." he whispered sadly, before refocusing his gaze, "I may be threatening the treaty with the World Government by saving you... but I just couldn't betray the good old man by capturing you... the only reason I agreed to come to the Horai Peninsula on that mission was because I was threatened."

"How did they threaten a big timer like you?" Marina said, not adjusting his fixed gaze from the sea as Jimbei looked up at him, also noticing the Digidestined and Digimon giving jagged and untrusting glares at the unfamiliar warrior of a different race.

"...they said either I went, or Doflamingo went." The husky half whale-shark stated.

"Doflamingo?" the group of alienated children repeated.

"Doesn't matter. Anyway, why did you help us escape?" Ace re-inferred.

"These crewmates of yours... I met a good Giant fellow, and he told me they respected his race, rather than show contempt... I want to see for certain whether Fishmen and humans can live in harmony, by viewing these kids from afar." At this, he met an approving gaze with Kari; for she had always been the one to notice and dream of peace between humans and Digimon, and now greeted the possibility of improving Fishmen relations, especially if they were all as polite as Jimbei, "well, I have to go back to Mariejois now, so that I can discredit anything that Commodore may have seen."

"Right, see you later, Jimbei. I have a feeling we'll see each other sooner than we both realize." Ace replied somewhat ominously; they would meet again, _very soon_, but not as he would have predicted.

Jumping into the sea, Jimbei began to swim in an unidentified direction, as his new 'target' group continued sailing onward to Utile Town, in search of another comrade just as strong as the new Navigator, as it was later revealed, of the New Spade Pirates. They needed another crewmate that could fight.

* * *

><p><em><span>Later that evening...<span>_

Tai was walking around the deck out of curiosity and boredom, eventually settling into a comfy place to sit on the top of the mast, in the birds eye view, lying down in curved fashion, before being awakened by strange whispers below him, back on the deck. Below he positively identified Izzy and Mimi, as far away from the crew's cabins as possible and keeping their voices low; but still high enough that Tai could overhear them.

"_You were really that worried about me, Mimi?"_

"_Of course I was, Izzy... I... I..."_

Tai was rather stunned by the unfolding conversation; had Mimi _really _gathered the courage to confess, almost like... like... Sora, "and in this little fairy tale, I bet Joe will play my part." He scoffed silently, looking down once again to see the awkward silence being broken.

"_... I love you, Izzy Izumi!" _Mimi managed to squeak, almost filling Tai with pride at her bravery, also noticing that see looked red enough to be a human bomb, should Izzy reject her. After her show of bravery, he decided to beat Izzy up if he shot her down.

"_I...I-I love you too... Mimi Tachikawa!" _Tai couldn't bear to oversee the next part, hiding his head and steeling himself as he sighed in the birds eye station upon the apex of the mast, deep in thought, yet his mind too clouded to distinguish what he was generally thinking, as below him, the two younger teens embraced lovingly, now uncaring of whether they were being watched. Little did they know, Tai had; ironically unaware of the new view over himself.

* * *

><p><em><span>Marine Headquarters<span>_

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 11**)

"And... this report is accurate?" Sengoku questioned as he walked down toward an inbuilt Japanese garden, outside of the conference meeting area He had an astounded sense around him, as he had just been informed of Tai's burst of Haki, and his actually wounding Commodore Smoker of the Logia type Plume-Plume Fruit.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral, it seems the New Spade Pirates have a Haki user among them..." his Marine subordinate trailed behind in his regulation 'Justice' coat, which he chose to have draped over his shoulders like many others while he held a piece of paper of inscribing text upon it.

"So, the hunt is stronger than expected... no matter, we _absolutely must _capture them; that guy may be planning something... unsavoury, for us," suddenly the supreme commander f the Navy grinded to a halt in the garden, and turned to the vigilant subordinate, "increase all of their bounties. If one is a Haki user, and these monsters they supposedly possess are powerful, we need higher ranked men and bounty hunters on them."

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Sora's Cabin<span>_

Sora sat on her plain, thickly matressed bed in the rather bland cabin room with a desk to write on and a sturdy, wooden chair. Luckily, the group were informed that this world did use electricity and lights, much to their silent relief, as candlelight would be inadequate enough to fully illuminate the Stryker Dawn, although how the ship was capable of using electricity was beyond them, and they had too much on their minds to bother asking.

**KNOCK . KNOCK.**

"Eh... come in, the doors open." She said softly, lifting off of the bland bed and sitting in her own personal wooden chair at the desk, stuffing a sheet of paper hastily into the small draw as the door hinges creaked, revealing Matt's head as he peered around it to spot his girlfriend.

"Dinner's gonna start in a few minutes... uh, are you okay?" he asked with concern as he looked into Sora's exhausted eyes.

"Matt, we were nearly crushed... and I've never screamed like that in my entire life... I must have looked pathetic..." she trailed off, focusing her gaze to a singular point on the wooden floor as Matt batted his eyes in confusion, and looked toward her bed as an escape from the awkwardness.

"No... No! It's only natural for a girl, but I cried in pain, and I'm supposed to be a tough guy!" he chuckled, "if it wasn't for Tai, I'd have been killed back there... Ace seemed surprised at that, and mumbled about 'Haki' or some stupid foreign word like that."

"Matt, this entire _world _is _foreign_." She giggled, as he turned into a light shade of scarlet while turning back to the now smiling girl, feeling a deep sense of relief at this sight, "but thanks for making me feel a little better..." she suddenly sneered comically at Matt, "if I was still a bit of a tomboy, I could have totally pounded that jerk!"

"Yeah" he chuckled, but converted into a serious demeanour in the blink of an eye, "but don't call yourself a tomboy... our days in Junior High are finished, so respect yourself a little more. Who cares what others think?"

"I know, I know... but I felt stronger back then, even with the constant harassment back in Junior High..."

* * *

><p><em><span>Helm<span>_

"Hey, kitty." Marina rasped angrily, as he kept on course at the helm, "come on, I saw you and the blonde, flying piglet taking earlier, and I am a crew member now."

"_Should we talk to him, Gatomon?" _Patamon whispered, attempting to stay silent before Marina, as he still did not fully trust him, as he floated beside the graceful feline on the banister with their backs to the helm.

"_Well... he did save Izzy's life..."_ she whispered back, and turned with a slight purr in the place of a scoff as she faced Marina; her large, heart blue eyes colliding with his small, dark green ones in a staring contest of epic proportions, with Patamon feeling a little unsafe with Gatomon's general vibe at the moment, "So, what is it?" she said with a slight hiss, Marina tearing his eyes away and refocusing on the sea before him.

"I honestly don't care about what you are, or where you and those clueless kids came from; but why do you follow the captain; what purpose does he serve in a this?" he asked rather bluntly, not concerned with the distasteful scoff he heard from the feline beside him, as he had insulted Kari, while Patamon remained mellow, and simply floated in the air with his wings flapping.

"We came to join in a wa-"

"Gatomon! We mustn't tell him!" the small Digimon cried beside her, "let's go to bed, alright?" he asked gingerly.

Marina watched on as the two small creatures jumped down to the deck and opened the grand, due door entrance into the ship, listening as they made furious steps down the small flight of stairs and toward the kitchen area, all the while grinning.

* * *

><p><em><span>KitchenDining area_

"Eat up!" Matt cheerfully encouraged, spreading his arms across the table symbolically, filled with pride at the sensual gourmet he had managed to make with the restocked supplies from Rittorubiggu. He had made three main dishes that the crew had the choice of choosing by picking one of the many plates filled with food from the centre of the large table beside the kitchen area. Ace and Marina were both absent, however, as Ace was busy gathering his leads to Blackbeard and Marina steered the ship in the directed course toward Utile Town.

"I love this ship!" Davis mumbled as he continued chewing at his meat rack, one of the small meals prepared, in his now greasy palm, "lights, kitchen, plates and personal rooms!"

"I know, Giants are fantastic at their craft!" Yolei concurred as she peeled her eyes away from Ken for the first time in a long while, "mine and Poromon's room look great... Izzy, what're you doing?" she questioned, turning everyone's gaze toward the focused, red haired youth as he typed away on Cody's D-Terminal with a message to Gennai back in the Digital Realm.

Several long moments later, with a loud, recurring beeping noise the D-Terminal sprung to life with a new message appearing, as Izzy began relaying the text to the Digidestined present, all of whom kept quiet about Tai's absence for now and also muffled their chewing to a minimum as Izzy read.

_To Izzy Izumi._

_I understand that you have become stronger as individuals capable of fighting as one unit, especially some of the human children developing as warriors. However, your progress is far too slack at the moment for Azulongmon to authorise your retrieval from the world of dreams._

_Also, the strange power Angemon managed to utilise is truly an unexpected bonus, as it is long since thought to have been sealed within the Digi-Cores. I cannot go into details, however, as I only know that the power is supposedly named __**Ambitious Charge**__, and do not know how to reactivate it._

_Azulongmon to was stunned by the news of this power being tapped into by Angemon, and has wholeheartedly decided to keep the power a mystery; in short, you have to figure it out by trial and error. But I can say this._

_The Digi-Core acts like an enhanced Digi-Egg, and, according to my theories, may give the newer Digimon, Gatomon and Patamon the opportunity to reach not only Ultimate-Level, but Mega-Level if achieved correctly._

_Finally, this Ace character seems trustworthy, as does Mr. Marina, as he rescued you from the jaws of death. But the one to be weary of and keep a close look on is, according to Azulongmon, 'Whitebeard', Edward Newgate._

_Question Ace. It is of the upmost importance to foresee whether Mr. Newgate is the trigger of the war, or if it is another factor._

_As always, we are counting on your success in this training program. The ultimate enemy awaits your return, and in your present condition, you are like insects. Train well._

_Gennai. _

"Interesting message." Ace said from over Izzy's shoulder, the red haired computer whiz reacting shocked and almost falling into Mimi's lap.

"Ace, tell us about Whitebeard... **everything**, this time. I feel like you left a few things out last time in that god forsaken shack." Joe said, settling snugly into his seat to make a point, as the captain walked over to the free seat beside Ken at the edge of the table, sighing a little.

"What sort of... things?" he spat to his Vice Captain, almost acting a little angry with his mannerisms when the subject of the great pirate Whitebeard came up.

"First off... just how wanted is he?" Tai's voice said, ushering in his appearance in the corridor, "don't bother, I hear the message, its fine."

"Well, if he's got a bounty still, even after all of these years and the threat level he poses, I suppose it'd close in on a billion berries... but bounties don't ever go that high, there has always been an unspoken stopping point, where the threat is too great to entrust to common bounty hunters and the Admirals have to get involved. These kinds of people manifest themselves under the great and ominous banner of the '**Yonkou**', or the '**Four Emperors'**, as Yonkou is the commonly used name." He took in a deep breath, and grabbed a piece of meat, and beginning to munch on it in between sentences, "I can't explain, I've only been in the Whitebeard Pirates as a Division Commander for two years, and he's been resting all of that time, as the need to battle has never arisen."

"Rest? What's wrong with him?" Joe questioned his captain, noticing the sad look now etching its way onto Ace's face as he sighed, and took a moment before speaking.

"He's... very sick. His age is finally rendering him weaker, and the once invincible man is now only at a third of his original power, and getting worse." Ace finished his meat rack and threw the bone back onto the plate he had retrieved it from, "but, he can still destroy the world at a whim, if he so desired. He is by no means senile, and sure as hell is a great man, even now!"

"**DESTROY THE WORLD?**"

"Don't worry, despite what the Marines and the normal people say, he isn't a heartless monster. Even if he is forced to fight, he shows restraint in the use of his power." Ace's face lightened as he finished up, turning back to the group from his seat, "Next question."

"Why do you follow him, Ace?" Mimi quizzed, with Izzy and the rest looking at her with blank expressions, wondering why she was going off topic.

"Because Pops calls me and my crewmates his 'sons'." His smile continued to widen and widen as the Digidestined stared on in awe, "we're hated by the world; no, _**rejected **_by the world, and he respects us and takes us in as his very own sons. We realize it's just a simple word, but it makes us happy that somebody... I don't know... **cares**."

"Final question for now." Tai said coldly, not even looking at the table, but at his feet with his legs crossed, arching himself against the doorway, "why are we looking for a guy called Blackbeard?" he said, immediately noticing the happy expression fall and darken rapidly before Ace began explaining with venom in his words.

"He's a crewmate killer, called Marshall D. Teach. He killed a good friend of mine out of the blue back on Pops' ship, and ran off. As his Commander, it was my duty to kill him in vengeance, even with Pops dead set against it... heh, guess I'm a runaway too."

"Runaway, from the Whitebeards?" a voice chuckled as it came closer.

"Marina, show some respect, or I'll plough you through that wall right now."

"But captain, surely you wouldn't..."

"Do you want me to tell these guys your secret, you arrogant fool?" Ace spat coldly, as footsteps heading further and further away from the dining table, with a loud scoff being heard by all present at the table.

_Go ahead, see if I care, boy._

"What is that guy's problem?" Kari pouted as she rested her hand around TK's underneath the table.

"He was originally an apprentice on a notorious pirate ship before wandering for years, in hiding from the World Government. You see, he and his original crew learned of a secret that the Government wants buried, along with him."

"What crew was he with?" Davis asked, rather doubtful he'd actually know them.

Ace pouted himself, and seemed ready to erupt with anger, frightening the small group of girls and also worrying the boys, "Gold Roger's crew."

* * *

><p>Please <strong>Review!<strong>

**What?**

Is Ace for real? Is Marina actually from the legendary Pirate King's crew?

And what new comrades and challenges await the youngsters in Utile Town? Also, watch out, New Spade Pirates, for Fleet Admiral Sengoku has decreed an increase in your bounties! But to how much?

A/N: Well, its guessing time once more, folks. Is Marina actually a survivor from that legendary crew, and does he actually know the secret of the 'Void Century', or does his tale go deeper than mere words?

In addition, Tai has given Smoker his scar on his chest, as seen in Marineford, but can he master Haki?

How could he even utilize Haki?

And how can the Ambitious Charge be used again?

Found out this and more, as we continue in the journeys of Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!


	13. Legend of the King and Landfall

****Finally, the group have reached the newest poin on their journey to get home; but are they still unaccepting of Azulongmon's training regime, to war? The boys have definatly become stronger, quickly adapting toward the subtle art of swordplay and quickly even the thrill of battle. But after they're little incident of razing most of Horai Peninsula in the defeat of the Devil Trio, how will they react to the newest bounties on their heads?

****A/N: Chapter 13, with several story revelations, teen angst and romance mixed into one, hopefully none disasterous recipe!

* * *

><p><strong>Great Blackbeard Search! Arc<strong>

**Legend of the King and**

**Landfall**

_Stryker Dawn_

"...!"

The entire group that surrounded the dining table beside the kitchen froze, as that one name had managed to bore itself into their memories, "Gold Roger?" Davis yelled for them.

"That guy you were telling us about back then?" Joe asked, "He sounded amazing!"

"He really, really did sound strong from what you told us, Ace!" was Mimi's giddy input, broadening the smile on her new boyfriend's face as he leant his arms on the table and placed his head on his palm, feigning boredom as he listened.

"About that... didn't you say he usually had fights with Whitebeard?" Tai muttered, rising from his slanted stance against the archway and sitting down on a stool beside the table, "it might help us if we know that..." he said, sounding unsure of himself.

Matt decided to add to the statement, "Yeah... since we're here, knowing of this world's history might give us some hints on how to escape, like we did in the Digi-World."

"...Fine." Ace sighed; he had surprised the Destined and their Digimon with his sudden change in mood at the mention of Roger's name. They couldn't help but ponder on the problem as he struggled to find calm words before he begun, "This is the story of how Roger started this whole Pirate Age... it all started years ago, at his execution..."He said, grunting in hatred as he said the name again. Just what was his problem?

* * *

><p><em><span>22 Years Ago...<span>_

(**Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 6/ Giant Stronghold, Takeoff**)

"— _It's... actually him!"_

"—_The Marines managed it?"_

"— _Why does he look so... happy?"_

"—_He shouldn't be. He's the great Gold Roger, and he's about to die while bringing the Pirate Age to an end..."_

"— _Wait, he's saying something..." _

_Several voices cascaded and echoed throughout a packed area in a small town centre; a large divide in a single line leading from the port to a large stand, upon which two shadowy figures braved the scolding heat, their eyes gazing down upon a marvellous, gallant and proud figure, as he began to climb up the towering obelisk of his execution stand, all the while mumbling aloud to himself as he ascended each step like a mountain. _

"_**Destiny**__... __**Fate**__... __**Dreams**__... these things are always held dearly in the heart of man... as long as people continue to treasure and lust for these things, they shall not vanish from this world!" he shouted to the nervous crowd behind him, without looking back as he continued climbing the large scaffold, his chafing chains and wooden stocks rattling like a clock's innards as his red robed being ascended higher and higher, with his shoulders high and his back straightened proudly._

_The prideful man taking this brisk pace up towards his final curtain call wore a large, crimson captain's coat, with his golden epaulets being hoisted high by his broadened shoulders as it fluttered at his heels, covered by black, sleek sailor boots that glowed jaggedly in the light before being cut off by his dark blue khaki like pants. His short, muscular neck was partially concealed by a purest white cravat and a baggy blue button shirt, kept inside a green pirate sash that was restricted from fluttering in the wind by his coat and restrained hands before him, pressing down on his clothing. Despite all this, the man's eyes were overcome by the shade created by his dark, jet black locks; and yet, as he continued climbing, underneath his large, curling moustache, his smile seemed to crack even wider, like a grand crevice that showed off his pearly white teeth._

_Finally reaching the top, his eyes peered through his locks for a brief second, instilling terror into his executioners, beneath their helmets and beige uniforms shaking and clenching their fists around the two large sabres they intended to end his life with. _

"_Pirate King Gold Roger, you have been sentenced to death for crimes against the World Government, being a radical menace to the general populace, and for the possibility that you committed the eternal sin of studying the Void Century. If you have any final words, speak now." The executioner to Roger's left proclaimed, wincing as the Pirate King turned to face him with a broad, indescribably large smile on his face and raising his stocked hands toward the executioner in a courting manner._

"_Could you please take these off?" he said jokingly, "they are giving me an awful chafe... do you expect me to escape like this?" as he finished, two blades were pointed at his neck by the now nervous executioners, both covered in a thin sheet of sweat._

"_**We can't do that**__!" they yelled back at him, failing to deter his smile._

"_Really? Now that is a true shame..." he said sadly, walking a few more feet past the blades, and slumping lazily down at the rear edge of the scaffold apex and facing his huge crowd as if it were his royal coronation rather than a death sentence, "well then! __**Get it over with**__!" he barked excitedly as the two blades crossed over his throat in a menacing gesture, instigating a large gasp from the gathered crowd in the square and many rumblings from them._

"_**OI, PIRATE KING!**__"_

_Everyone gathered at the site followed the echoing voice to its source, noticing a man with his hands helping his yell beat the ever approaching death of Roger and get an answer._

"_**WHAT DID YOU DO WITH ALL YOUR TREASURE?**__"_

_Deafening silence befell the town square as the crowd, gathered big name Pirates and the executioners looked at him with gaping emptiness on their faces, while Roger stared on in blissful anticipation._

"_**IT'S ON THE GRAND LINE, ISN'T IT? THE GREATEST TREASURE IN THE WORLD?**__"_

"_...!"_

_Several Marines, Policemen and Government workers bit their lips, and the executioners gripping their blades even tighter to Roger's neck, much to his childish amusement._

_Several of the upholders of Justice tried to screech over him with quick silver tongue lashings, but were held back by the enthused yet silent crowd, intrigued by the question._

"_Bastard! Hold your tongue-!" the executioner belittled aloud, fearing the reprisals of this outburst. But it was too late._

"_**THE**__** ONE PIECE ~!**__"_

_Stunned silence followed this, as members of the Marines finally ploughed through and held the man, silencing him as they remained silent, their ears picking up an offensive, enthused chortle from up high._

_**HMHMHMHM... MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!**_

_Roger sounded like a madman, laughing with an incredible contagiousness to it as it sounded through the air; before he fell silent once more, now kneeling still with the blades moving away from his neck slightly, much to the relief of the officials present, giving loud sighs of relief._

"_...my treasure?"_

_Everyone braced, for many different reasons and motivations as the blades were now pointed directly at his right lung and his diaphragm with the glossy sheet of sweat covering his executioners thickening as he continued breathing, _

"_ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!" they screamed down to the Pirate King, who took no heed of their cries for silence._

(**End Music**)

"_If you want it... you can __**have **__it! I left it __**all**__ in __**that place**__, after all..." and with that, the great man released his final breath that he had held hostage in his booming lungs; two blades had pierced his chest cavity and punctured his left lung and diaphragm, instantly ending his grand life while his blood seeped from the wounds and smeared his pure, snow coloured cravat and emerald coloured shirt, as silence followed this sight, followed by heavy rainfall that begun unexpectedly, yet failing to drown the cheers and tears shed on that day._

"_W-what the -?" one of the enforcers that carried out the deed questioned, looking down at the now rigor mortis stricken corpse that sat beside him, his facial muscles somehow sealed into a smile as another thunderous, booming cheer resounded and reverberated through the town's air._

_**GGGGRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!**_

* * *

><p><em><span>Present Day<span>_

"...well, that's the story. That was one of the biggest events in my world's history. Roger died, and his final words after his capture and summary execution led to this new era." Ace finished strongly, emphasising with a large grunt as he finally finished talking about Roger. The kids stared on amazed, unbelieving that such a huge event could have happened so recently before they had arrived.

"So, he was caught by the Marines, but turned it all against them in his last words?" Joe blinked thrice in suspense, "I want to meet any of his crew; they must be strong!"

"But... didn't he just say Marina was a member of the crew?" Mimi added with a ditzy, blank look upon her.

"_That guy... something's fishy here, and I always find out where it is coming from!" _Gatomon thought to herself, retaining a bored, passive face as she leapt and perched herself on Kari's shoulders; appreciating the added grips of the dress's epaulets patterned frills, falling down her shoulders.

Cussing under his breath, Veemon sensed an oddity in his nape, and remained silent where he sat, thinking deeply about all that had occurred up to that point. He seemed adamant on the fact that something said over the early travel was deterring his trust from Marina.

"Tell us a bit more... how about the experiences with this 'Whitebeard' guy," Matt added, resting his face into his palm as he listened.

"...No." Ace spited, staring down at the ground with a ferociously fiery glare; a scary thing for the user of the Flare-Flare Fruit, "I'd rather we focused on Utile Town for now..."

"But I want to hear more!" Mimi cried girlishly, like she usually did if she wanted a new handbag.

"No... As the Vice Captain, I say that he has his own right to secrets... I can tell by his mannerisms that he figured out our half truths." Joe retorted rather coldly, much to his friends surprise; he never took a stand outright in anything before. "Let's go to bed. Thanks to Jimbei, we can make landfall in only a few hours rather than the usual 3 days." He stated matter of-factly.

"And, just to clarify; you know that _how_?" Izzy hissed back, still a little over protective of his new girlfriend, but nevertheless obeyed the order and went to bed, while Joe and Ace headed back out to handle menial duties around the new ship.

* * *

><p><em><span>Izzy's Cabin<span>_

"Can you believe that jerk?" Izzy hissed as he lay on his bed, with Mimi hanging alongside the door with a slight blush on her face; she had never been in a boy's room before in this way, "first he get's appointed as second in command, and then he tells you off for a guy we barely know!"

"But, it's nice, isn't it?" Mimi said softly, closing the wooden door behind her, "it's like our first time in the Digital World... Tai was the leader, and Matt was the big brother of our little group of misfits."

Izzy remained silent for a moment, his girlfriend eyeing the floor nervously as he smirked from the bedside; he decided to humour her, "It is kind of nostalgic... but we became great friends and better people from the group... I miss those days." He muttered rather weakly as he finished.

"I miss them too... being the little princess without a care in the world... but you guys taught me that money isn't everything there is to being happy," she said with welled up eyes, assuming an almost defensive stance as she hugged her shoulders, "and that people have worse lives than I could have ever imagined... moving to New York just before _that_ September... it s-scared me. My perfect world of dreams... died that day." She said as tears began to rain down her face furiously, feeling herself being pulled in deep by Izzy into his arms.

"I know... people are not perfect, and humans are naturally pathetic. That is the truth of the world. I hate this world, because that Kama guy forced me to wake up from my happy day dream about happiness..."

Izzy's surroundings seemed to fade into white, as he recollected his experience from four days prior; the giant man who had praised him as being worthy of his assigned name, 'Enlightened One', reappeared before him, yelling at the battered and bruised Digidestined.

_"Think about it, do kids born into providence ever have the same way of thinking as kids who live, breathe and die in warzones? Do any of you consider the point of view of people who are labelled as 'deplorable' by society? Here's one for you, girlies. Do you ever consider anybody you don't admit to as being attractive into you're little ring of friends, even though some of them have much better morals and standards than others?"_

"He was right, you know. Although I've tried erasing it from my mind across my life, ever since I found out my parents had adopted me... I don't know, I felt like I needed someone to be lower than me, so that I could always use them as motivation to keep on living." Izzy stated weakly as he felt Mimi wrap her arms around the small of his back.

"While we're here... I want to try and make new friends, and I mean one that can be members of my second family." She said with strength behind her words as Izzy looked back down curiously.

"Second family?"

"Yeah! You guys are my family away from home!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Sora's Cabin<span>_

Sora sat silently at her desk, mulling over the current situation while looking down at a note she had hidden from Matt's view earlier; it was a quick collage of ideas scattered on the paper, with all of the Crests drawn small in the surrounding rims of the paper, but with Love and Courage oddly close...

_**SCRUNCH!**_

The young girl crumpled the paper in her palm, overcome by emotions and embarrassment at the drawings, placing it back in the draw where she had retrieved it, "I-I can't t-think about stuff l-like that!" she squealed silently as she inspected the door for any eavesdroppers, "what would Matt think if he saw..." she became flushed at the mere mention of it; he would go **BALLISTIC**.

"...!"

"Eh?" she muttered in surprise, feeling a slight stab into her leg through her denim short pocket, reaching in and pulling out a very familiar object of significant value to her; "Tai's hairpin..." she said, baffled as she placed it back in her hair, "...What a perfect time to find it... makes things more awkward." She giggled as she lay on her mattress, quickly falling to sleep, and writhing in anguish as the same dream plagued her once again...

* * *

><p><em><span>Seven Years Prior<span>_

(**Cue BGM: A Mother's Love**)

_Sora Takenouchi at this time was a nine year old, her soccer fanatic phase in full swing along with her tomboyish tendencies, ignorant toward other girls in her group who had begun the long cycle of becoming recluse as they grow into more womanly people. She was walking alongside the main school building with a few scuffs and dirt marks on her jeans and yellow shirt from playing goalie in a particularly offensive soccer match; her red gloves worn from having stopped several shots over the lunch break._

_But as she panted, clutching at her pounding chest, she spotted a small collective group of girls, surrounding something as she vaguely made out a tall boy from between their shoulders. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good; the boy she recognised was a renowned bully in the area and was supposed to be on suspension due to an earlier incident._

_Running over to the scene and getting into a spot where she could see, she saw the tall boy stood over a bloody kid with smashed lenses beneath his shaking frame from a lower year than him; it sickened her to the core, how cowardly the boy was acting as she stepped forward._

"_Hey, Josh. Back off of the kid." She spat with venom almost rolling off her tongue, with several girls turning spitefully to her._

"— _Oh, the freak." One said._

"—_The tomboy freak." Another said._

"—_The one with no friends besides Tai?" another finalised as Sora gave her a quick glance of hatred; at this point of her life, she had become accustomed to this, but still felt a sting._

"_Get lost, tomboy retard." Josh retorted, turning back to his weak prey and lifting him by the collar as Sora clutched at him, trying the sort of grip from Jackie Chan movies to no avail._

"_Let. Go." She reaffirmed._

"_Is that all you've got?" he chuckled as his apparent groupies surrounded her, giving her a timid look as she scanned the situation with her eyes, still gripping his wrist, "shouldn't you, I don't know... be practicing making sandwiches for your husband, Kamiya?" he said, pulsing his forearm muscle and releasing her clutch as she blushed at his statement. She had never thought of men like that before, until he had said it. _

"_S-shut up, Josh..." she stated weakly, "let the kid go."_

"_Why should I?" he spat, lifting the young boy higher by his collar, "weaklings have no rights in comparison to the strong, like me."_

"_You're not strong, you're a bully. You're all like that, thinking you're oh~ so cool."_

"—_Be quiet, __**Tomboy**__ouchi!" one of his groupies yelled, eccentrically clutching Sora's shoulder and clawing into it with her nails as a threat._

"_You follow him 'cause he's supposed to be strong, right?" she spat at the girly girl; clasping the smooth hand with her gloved one and pushing it back, along with the girl, "boys __**always **__have one weakness..."_

_And like lightning, she struck her foot in-between the bully's legs, forcing him to drop the kid as he yelped and writhed on the floor in unbearable agony. The girls stared on, trying to help Josh up as Sora ran with the kid, but were too flushed with embarrassment to really lift him; they still thought like children, and couldn't handle the sight of a testicular shot. _

"_**COUGH**__... __**GACK!**__" he cried, rising to a single knee off of the ground. Sora ever since had feared boys like Josh, as the repercussions of this act lead to something; something that forced her to admit weakness to herself. It always made her feel queasy at having to dream through the whole experience._

_It made her distrusting of boys for a long time..._

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p><em><span>On Deck <span>_

"Is that it, Ace?" Joe blinked, amazed at the sight before him. Was it really a town was an obvious question, as the overall look of the island seemed... mechanical.

Marina added, "Yes, this is the gathering point of all newbies who want to join crews, the mechanical paradise; Utile Town!" Marina seemed tense about something. It was like everyone on the crew held a secret...

Utile Town in the distance did indeed look mechanical, as two gargantuan pillars of thick steel shielded the East and West sides of the small island, amost like a cocoon, while the sign above the island that connected the towers carried the symbolic lettering, 'World Government Free Zone'.

"W-World Government... free zone?" Joe repeated, wiping his glasses and rereading it to confirm the words; turning to Ace with a very curious face, his captain obliging and opening his mouth.

He said flatly, "It's an island of value that has fallen to the Revolutionaries."

* * *

><p><em><span>Breakfast Table<span>_

**CHOMP!**

**MUNCH!**

**SHRIP!**

The boys tore away at their breakfast like ravenous beasts, the girls staring on, too astounded and bewitched by silent laughter to begin eating their own food as the dining room door slammed open with a rusty creak.

"You boys are like wild animals..." Mimi sighed.

Sora smiled at this, "You weren't much better when we first went to the Digital World."

Sora's statement made Mimi blush as everyone laughed innocently at her. Her responses were stopped by a friendly voice giving greetings to the group, as Joe walked in looking tired and famished. He must have pulled another all nighter.

"Joe, I know you're the holder of the Crest of Reliability; but it has been smooth sailing since we saw Jimbei. Why do you always push yourself this hard?" Tai asked as respectfully as he could, a piece of toast dangling at the edge of his mouth.

"S-sorry... I know I promised to tone it down with the Reliability stuff since we came back from our first adventure," he began as he sat beside Izzy, placing a piece of toast in his mouth, "but since you guys named me Vice Captain... I just couldn't sleep at night."

_So... is he blaming us for this? _ Izzy thought angrily as he shredded his piece of toast like a wolf. He gazed over to his girlfriend, who gave him a determined look, forcing him to remember their conversation from the previous night.

"Well," Davis shouted, breaking the tension, "I have a plan for when we get to this Utile Town!"

"And what's that, Davis?" TK said with more respect in his tone.

"It hinges on you and Patamon," he points his index finger at TK, smiling as he explains; "I think that if we stick around in this world for a while, we should at least be ready for this Digimon that's waiting for us!"

"And... this has _what _to do with me and Patamon?"

"I think we should try and use this Ambitious Charge power again... before we couldn't beat a Vice Admiral on our own, but on Horai Peninsula, Angemon beat that Hitsuji guy easily, and delayed the Marines. Why _shouldn't_ we try and master it?"

Yolei decided to get involved, "As much as I hate to admit it, Davis has a point; one that isn't stupid. So, TK, how **did** you use the Ambitious what-cha-ma-call-it?"

"Charge?" Davis corrected smugly.

_**BONK!**_

"Yeah, that!" Yolei said, embarrassed as Davis rubbed his welt in defeat.

"W-well... I'm not sure, to be honest..." TK began, looking over his shoulder to Patamon, "Angemon said that I knew what Hope I was using to give him that power."

"I'm still baffled that Angemon could use a new ability, how did he do it, Izzy?"

"Well, I E-Mailed Gennai yesterday out of the very same curiosity, and he said that Digimon's attacks are part of their programming in the Digital World, and that in the Real World, they're power was restricted. But here, the world is powered by the dreams of people, and he hypothosised that if the Digimon can utilise their natural energy from their fractal codes into specialised attacks, as long as they can manipulate the energy of the Digi-Core perfectly."

Izzy unfurled his crossed arms and noticed many faces on the verge of dribbling and drooling in confusion, and quickly simplified it, "It's like their attacks change in their Digivolutions, only in the same form."

"But... how do we activate it?" Sora asked softly as the group leaned in toward Izzy.

"We have to have a strong surge of emotion that represents our Crests. For example, TK was able to use it because he felt a great surge of Hope during the battle against Kama." He continued, "apparently, we can also use the power to Digivolve to higher peaks of power, but it would need lots of training, and I'm still unsure of how to get the three new Digimon to their Ultimate and Mega-Levels."

"What about DNA?" Ken asked with a low, unassured voice.

"That is still possible right now, but we'd still need to rebuild the Digimon's power levels first..."

"Hey, Veemon! Did you hear that?" Davis yelled excitedly, "you can go Ultimate and Mega on your own! We'll train together; I really want to fight _with _you, not give orders."

"Same goes for us, Hawkmon."

"And us, Armadillo –!" Cody began, "hey, that's my breakfast!"

"W-Wormmon, let's try hard."

"Gatomon, we have got to keep up!"

* * *

><p><em><span>On Deck<span>_

"WOW! THAT'S UTILE TOWN?" Mimi screeched in anticipation, looking directly at the mechanised town 'liberated' by the Revolutionaries.

Utile Town from the Port looked fantastic, as blue, metallic silver light beamed off of the two towering shields, reflecting the sun's rays, and illuminating the closed in, agricultural city, complete with pumice stone walled homes that towered high toward one side of the city and slanted in a distinct curve toward a poorer, slightly more spaced out 'village like' area, complete with a large lake that slithered between the homes like a snake coiled as it reach into the sea.

"Let's go get us some grub!" Matt yelled, holding Sora's hand as she followed him, smiling beautifully as she wandered off with him in search of a good meal.

"I'm going to get some better clothes; I look like a thief!" Davis yelled as he walked off with Veemon, closely followed by Cody, Ken, Tai and Ace and the respective Digimon partners.

"Kari, want to come look around town with me?" TK asked softly, a smile curving on his face as Patamon perched snugly on his partner's broadened shoulders.

"... Sure... lead the way, TK!" she replied hesitantly. She kept polite and forced a smile on her face, but still vouched for keeping an eye on him. She turned and noticed Gatomon had vanished into thin air, along with Marina.

"W-where is she?" Patamon questioned concernedly.

"Listen, she'll be fine. She's a Champion-Level, and a cat. She knows to come back here at the end of the day." TK replied softly again, reassuring Patamon and Kari about her safety; they often forgot she was a Champion-Level constantly.

* * *

><p><em><span>Rooftops of Utile Town<span>_

(**Cue BGM: Blue Dragon OST – Determination**)

_Where did that guy go?_

Gatomon slinked gracefully across the rooftops at a brisk pace, scanning the beautiful streets for any sign of Marina. She had noticed his disappearance moments after the crew made landfall at the port area, and felt her feline senses go haywire for a strange reason. But she remained wary of her actions in this world, after seeing the affects on Hawkmon when he tried his digital bravado; learning of his mortality the hard way in this world.

_Grr... I swear, if he tries anything, I'll end him._

She stopped her slinking for a brief moment and reflected on the happenings since yesterday, where Marina joined the crew in Rittorubiggu. She considered him a complete unknown, but was forced in reconciliation when she saw him save Izzy.

_But... last night on the deck of the ship, why was he talking to some snail? He was saying some strange things, and some cold voice talked to him about a G-11..._

She looked up, noticing a strange bird in the skies, carrying a bag on its perched back; the bird also saw her, and recognised her as intelligent life, throwing a thick wad of newspaper down to her. She promptly clutched it in her palm as it fell.

Unfurling the rubber band that binded it, she began reading aloud, "Alabasta Kingdom finally restored to full strength; Commodore Smoker's greatest moment," she blinked thrice at this text, "that smoke guy saved a kingdom?" but then came to a quick realization, "oh yeah... we're supposed to be the... bad... ones... what is this!" she cried to herself.

She pulled out several loose sheets from the newspaper and spread them in examination; they were bounty posters of the kids.

'Enlightened One', Izzy; a bounty of 55 million berries.

'Outlaw Star', Taichi; a bounty of 80 million berries.

'Tidal Punk', Matt; a bounty of 65 million berries.

'Slaughter Knight', Davis; a bounty of 70 million berries.

'Archimedes', Joseph; a bounty of 40 million berries, _What? Haven't they recognised Joe as the Vice Captain yet?_

'Emperor of Darkness', Ken; a bounty of 30 million berries.

'Etiquette', Cody; a bounty of 30 million berries.

'Proud Knight', TK; a bounty of 45 million berries.

'Pirate Princess', Mimi; a bounty of 30 million berries.

'Sugar', Sora; a bounty of 30 million berries.

'Vicious Temptress' Yolei; a bounty of 30 million berries.

'Frail Maiden', Kari; a bounty of 30 million berries.

"And there's one for Ace!" she said lowly, unfolding the poster and looking at the price, "Holy... wow!" she said in disbelief, but quickly refocusing, "wait... is this about the incident on the Horai Peninsula? How would they have known about that? Smoker didn't see it all," suddenly her expression darkened as she re-wrapped the bounty posters and looked feverishly down at the street, "why doesn't that Marina Espia guy have one? He actually killed someone, shouldn't that count for something?" she muttered to herself as she recommenced jumping over the houses with the bounty posters in her hand.

(**End Music**)

* * *

><p><em><span>Utile Town Street<span>_

"I love this town... the food at the bar tasted oh-so good ~," Davis chimed as his entourage came across a clothing store and all nodded on entering, not noticing Matt and Sora pass by at the end of the street maze.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I love this town... the people are so nice ~!" Sora chimed rather ominously, as her unlucky friend also said down the street, "Oh! Matt ~!" she said excitedly, pulling on Matt's arm, "let's eat there!"

"A... restaurant... this world is full of pirates, snail phones and restaurants from the future. I feel bad for the sad sap who dreams this crap up into one." He muttered disbelievingly, hoping that the dowry that Ace had given him back on the Horai Peninsula could satisfy the restaurant's price demand as he and Sora entered, hand in hand.

* * *

><p><em><span>Other Side of Town<span>_

"TK... I want to talk about something..." Kari muttered weakly as she and TK sat on an isolated park bench.

A moment of silence followed, "... yeah... I can guess." He replied, eyeing the ground so as to not be defeated by Kari or Patamon's concerned glares.

"Lately... something came to light and... I found out that you lied to me about Davis–"

"—Kari."

"And I think that you've got a dark side..."

"—Kari!"

"I-it's beginning to frighten me..."

"—K-Kari..." he failed; his eyes were absorbed completely by hers, noting instantly the droplet rimmed bottoms of her eyes and feeling a powerful pang in his chest; most notably his hidden scar on his chest.

"I know that some things change over time... but I don't want you to become a monster." She said lightly, her voice cracking at her final word as she now looked at the ground with a shaking frame.

"K-Kari... I... I-it's complicated," he said lowly, "like Tai and my brother when we first arrived in the Digital World... it's just mine and Davis's way of growing up."

"... It's me, isn't it?" Now that one stung TK and spread through his body like a venom, "you lied about Davis... because of me, you wanted to be with me..."

"K-Kari, I..."

"No, it's okay... I just... need my space for a while..."

TK's eyes widened in shock and fright, "N-no... please..."

"Just until my head is clear... lets be friends, and only that!" she cried as she began running in a different direction while TK stood, frozen in that one second of time until Patamon lowered himself in the air and shook him.

"TK... should I follow her-!" Patamon flinched as he felt his data being absorbed toward TK.

"Patamon, storage," he trembled, holding his Digivice firmly in his grasp as Patamon's fractal code broke down and entered the device with a holy flash, "sorry, buddy, but lets give her some space, I need to clear my head, anyway."

_...Alright, but if she gets in trouble and I have to save her, you owe me lunch. _A telepathic voice said to TK, making him realize that when a Digimon is stored, only the person clutching the device could make out the words of that Digimon.

* * *

><p><em><span>Clothes Store<span>_

(**Cue BGM: One Piece OST – Luffy's Fierce Attack**)

"Awesome! I look so~ cool!" Davis said excitedly as he looked at himself in a mirror in the store changing room, "all the sexy girls are mine~!"

He wore a frost emblazoned jacket, with a metallic blue overlaying a powerful white, while his beige shorts complemented the jacket perfectly, and he also wore black mountain boots, with a strap that encased around his heel as a tightening strap. On his head he still wore his goggles, but over a blue bandana that encased his forehead and scrunched up over his smiling face.

"Davis... why the frosty look, man?" Tai said, himself looking rather good in his clothes, "but I can't blame you; when Matt changes his clothes, it'll reflected the fact he signed to a label just before this..."

He wore a buttoned shirt that opened at the ending of his rib cage, giving a look at his toned abdominals and broad chest which bore a necklace designed in an everlasting, jaggedly linked triangle. His shirt itself was a layer, as above it, he wore a sleeveless jack that read 'Outlaw Star' on his back, showing his pride in his bounty name. His shorts were dark blue denim, while his shoes were a pair of blackened, calf height, heavy duty boots.

"Says you, Tai." Ace's voice judged jokingly, walking out with a new yellow coloured jacket over his Whitebeard tattoo, to avoid any problems with the citizens.

"U-um... it reminds me of my Digimon Emperor cape..." Ken stated weakly, looking a little distressed as he fumbled with his cloak.

Underneath the dark cloak bearing frill free epaulets braces were a baggy, dark green shirt and a skin tight pair of blue material pants, complete with a black pirate sash. Cody hesitantly followed suit, looking rather nervous as the boys looked at him in amazement of his change.

He wore a black vest that opened and revealed his purest white button shirt, while his light green shorts were a lengthy pair, extending beyond the short boy's knees; and with darkened floral designs spread out upon them, in a sign of growth from bud to flourishing.

"Nice one, Cody!" Armadillomon complimented in his usual deep, heavily layered Americanised accent.

"Same goes for you, Davis!" Veemon also complimented, receiving a fist bump as a response as his partner giggled giddily, placing a dark blue pirate sash on his waist, laying the black, crimson dragon engraved sheath of the Inugami securely in the sash's wrappings. All his friends quickly followed suit, placing they're sword sheaths into pirate sashes as they made their way to the counter and made the payment.

(**End Music**)

"All of it," Cody mumbled disappointedly, "all the money Ace gave us on the Horai Peninsula!" he said sadly as the group of dressed up boys walked down the busy street, reacting appropriately and placing their Digimon into their Digivices to avoid an uproar in the rather calm town.

Ace laughed along with the other boys, causing Cody to also laugh contagiously, "It's fine, Cody... listen, guys. You know how I explained this is a Revolutionary controlled area?" Ace said seriously as he continued walking down the street.

"You mean telling us just now that this is a Revolutionary area and not explaining at all what you meant by it? No... I think you didn't." Tai responded jokingly with a serious demeanour on his face.

"Yeah, like that... well, I'm off to check the local area, so don't leave the Port until I get back." He said, running off down the street and around a corner before anyone could say a word to stop him.

"Well... the Flare-Flare Fruit user is as hot tempered as ever... hey, where did Izzy and Mimi go?" Tai asked, looking around in futility.

"A date." Davis quickly snapped with a chuckle, like he just told the best joke ever told.

In the distance, at the end of the street, a few shady characters laughed hysterically as they looked at paper that flitted in their hands. On closer investigation, they were the bounty posters of the crew of the New Spade Pirates, who were in the worst position possible; being separated, with some alone.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A few streets away, Ace was darting in between the civilians, noticing how much happier they looked than when under the World Government's control. He could run freely, even amok if he wanted; because the biggest symbol of fear on his body was beneath a fluttering, yellow jacket.

But his eyes focused into infuriated slits at the sight of a large, fat silhouette he could swear had a black beard, _Teach!_, he thought violently, his feeling overbearing him as he soared through the air like a missile and delivered a beautiful dropkick to the man, noticing several bystanders looking repulsed by the action.

"Dr. Blackbeard!" someone cried, forcing Ace to take in the husky cry, the thick, black hair and the full set of teeth... _Crap_, he thought; he hit the wrong person, a doctor, at that.

"Arggh! Why... you..." the husky man replied in anger, Ace looking on dimwittedly until he felt the victim's and several other bystanders grab him, lifting him quickly and running over to a nearby lake, throwing the aggressor into the lake and watching angrily as he floated away.

"—Maybe next time, when you get out of there, you'll think twice before hitting a doctor while he's treating _my _daughter." A man spat before blending back into the crowd, as if nothing had happened.

_... Help... Devil Fruit user in need of assistance!_

Ace floated in the water, unable to move with a stabbing pain all over his body until he felt a pair of soft, small hands pull him out of the lake. Regaining his senses as he coughed out water, he made out a small farmhouse, with several cows on the loos in a field beside the lake.

_The poorer side of town...?_

"Hey, I'm Moda! Who are you?" the girl said excitedly, like a love obsessed little teenager... wait, _love_ obsessed?

_Oh God... I know I'm not the type to ask for forgiveness, but... please make sure she can survive after I eat her food... oh yeah, and please don't tell me she love me... please?_

* * *

><p>Please <strong>Review!<strong>

Well, very ground breaking indeed! What **is** the dark secret from Sora's past? Who are the men who have targeted the New Spade Pirates? And also, is Kari truly safe on her own in a Marine free island? Also, in the island sized city referred to as a 'mechanised town', where _has _Marina gone, and why have these Den Den Mushi calls been necessary to an unknown person?

Find out next time, in Digimon x One Piece: Dimensional Trap!

As you may already have guessed if you're a manga fan; we have just begun a split story; the true story and Ace's side quest. Which is your favourite?


	14. Encounters and Infiltration!

**A/N: **And we are back with Dimensional Trap!

For the little time gap, I'm going to say that this is Piece Two of Season One, the Search for Blackbeard arc. We are fast approaching the meeting between Ace and Blackbeard. But, for those who keep up intimately with the anime or manga, can you guess how the New Spade Pirates fit in with Banaro Island, or Marineford and the other upcoming arcs?

* * *

><p><strong>(Season One, Piece Two)<strong>

**(Insert One Piece Opening Theme,**

**BRAND NEW WORLD)**

**It is currently the Great Age of Pirates.**

**A struggle between many pirates began while looking for the legendary fable, One Piece. The treasure is of legendary status, and has became a fairy tail amongst dreamers who sought it. But around 20 years ago, a certain man, the Pirate King, Gold Roger, hinted at its existence with his final breath.**

"_**My treasure? If you want it, you can have it! SEARCH FOR IT! I left everything the world has to offer in that place..."**_

**Ever since then, a raging torrent of pirates began searching, clawing and killing for the chance to find the legendary treasure.**

**The world has truly entered the Great Age of Pirates!**

**xxx**

**Previously on Dimensional Trap, Taichi Kamiya and his comrades fell through a portal to the Digital World, falling into the strange and merry world of pirates.**

**They had many ups and downs in their attempts at returning home, one such instance being when they travelled to the Horai Peninsula and began battle with a cult like gathering of Devil Fruit users, led by Hitsuji.**

**With their new pirate captain, Portgas D. Ace, they successfully managed to defeat the fruit users and evade the Marines, led by 'White Chase' Smoker, with a brand new ship named the Stryker Dawn, along with a new shipmate called Marina Espia.**

**Arriving on a new island near the Marine Branch G-2, which is a hotspot pirates would dodge all together because of a Vice Admiral's presence, had the partially mechanised Utile Town not already been overtaken just prior to landfall by the Revolutionaries. They are currently visiting several areas of the town separately, but with a lawless town and roving bounty hunters, is that such a good idea?**

**The New Spade Pirates might just meet their maker before they can leave the second island in their journey to find Blackbeard and to get home.**

**...**

_**Great Blackbeard Search! Arc**_

**Encounters and Infiltration!**

_Marine Branch G-2: Comil's Office_

**(Cue BGM: One Piece Best Soundtrack 11)**

Sitting behind a grand oak desk with heaps of neatly stacked paper with small handwriting on them was a large, rotund man with a great white moustache across his stiff upper lip, a rudimentary Marine coat draped like a cape on his shoulders and weighted by his bald patch adorned long hair. He wore a green suit and held a nodachi beside his desk, clearly his weapon of choice.

"And... this man from CP7 has retrieved a bounty head or two, has he? Isn't he a little out of his jurisdiction?" Comil vapidly sighed, his eyes narrowed.

He was talking to a reporting officer in Marine garb and a coat of his own, holding his back hand salute in place, "He claims that he was passing through on his way back here to resupply, sir! He only gave the name of Salvador, a trainee who passed by and noticed two rather large bounties in the middle of a kidnapping incident!"

Still bitter, Comil fiercely demanded, "And who, pray tell, are these grand bounty heads? If it is nothing over 80 million, I will gut that man for making a mockery of my beloved branch. Now who the hell was it?"

"'Taurus' Primrose, a 90 million berry bounty head, and one of the Fleet Admiral's specially requested criminals from Whitebeard's crew, 'Frail Maiden' Kari, a 30 million berry prize!"

"Hold on... the crew that has made headlines lately besides the Eustass 'Captain' Kid's crew is nearby in Utile Town?" he asked calmly, receive an affirming nod, "dispatch Unit 1 and 3 immeadiatly! After that embarrassment at Alabasta with the Straw Hat's, we cannot allow another escape of notorious criminals again!" he boomed, the man darting out of his office to do as he was told.

Comil was between sombre and anger, an unpleasant and stressful feeling indeed. He couldn't help but wait for fresh milk to arrive for his coffee, as it was his one pleasure in life. But he needed to await the message from Moda the milk girl...

Looking out the window, a small dinghy with an elegantly dressed man with flowing black locks and a great curly moustache was approaching, stood in the confined boat up straight as he approached, a small note in his hand. Comil felt his soul soar, as his forlorn milk message was finally coming. Lord knows he had slashed and hacked enough things in agitation for it, he felt like blowing up.

**(End BGM)**

* * *

><p><em><span>Utile<span> Town: Back Alleys_

TK was crouched in a narrow, moss encased stone alley in the more criminalist area of the town, clutching a pink device in his hand with a wrathful tremble; it was Kari's Digivice. Patamon, still inside TK's device, could feel the general vibe as TK swung around, the device in a belt loop for Patamon to see through; a small puddle of blood was dried a few feet adjacent to the spot the blonde kneeled in now; something had happened to Kari, and he was the one who decided to let her roam free. Unnaturally stupid of him, he could only curse under his breath as he rose up to his feet.

"Damn it... I've gotta find everyone-" but his face tightened and his eyes closed, "No... Tai would kill me if he knew I let her go crying into this... Patamon, we have to go after her on our own."

"How can we find her?" a small voice came from his device, "She might not be on the island anymore... she might be hurt-"

"Why to rub it in, but no." He sharply snapped, now beginning to run to the exit in the alleyway towards the blood pool, "You see, the Digivice can track crest energies. Don't you remember how we found her in Cyber City with Davis? We tracked her crest energy!"

As if he was thinking it through as he went along desperately, nudging past any bystanders as he ran through the streets, he grabbed Patamon's current container and pressed the centre button, switching the screen into a small digital radar that bleeped and displayed all 8 crests on the island, and had a small indicator arrow indicating Kari's crest with a small '8.3 MILES NORTH' beneath it.

_I'll need to take the ship!_

* * *

><p><em><span>Utile Town: Restaurant Areas<span>_

Matt seemed to sense a bad vibe, a kind of natural reaction for a big brother as he walked down the street with Sora under his arm and a sheathed sword held by the base with his palm.

The girl felt the vibe as if he was a conductor, "Matt, what's wrong?"

"W-what... it's nothing Sora... it's just that I felt something in the air..."

He was right about that, as they both looked to the sky as they traversed down the Main Street full of restaurants and spotted a particularly odd bird with a bag; a News Coo. The bird seemed to have spotted and recognised them from the headline photos in the paper that he tossed down, Matt grabbing it with his extended free arm.

Unfurling the paper, Matt examined the headline page, entitled 'NEW SPADE PIRATES' with everybody's bounty emblazoned on the page, their bounties shot up seemingly out of the blue, Matt giving a snide snigger and Sora nearly jumping out of her skin at the sight of her hunting order, knowing what they did to captured pirates after conversing with Ace during their travels.

The girl grumbled, "C'mon, don't we have enough troubles just being here while Biyomon and Gabumon fight?"

Matt, alternatively, kept the gruff chuckle going, "So... I'm considered a high profile target beneath Tai, am I? Let's see if we can change that at some point..." he fell silent as Sora pierced through him with a long stare and dragged him into a nearby tavern that was almost ghostly empty apart from a sleeping girl at the desk.

"Matt... you do realize how much trouble this is going to be, don't you? Those Admirals Ace mentioned might just come looking for us now! From the way it sounded, they're just as strong as a Mega-level Digimon, if not even stronger!" she whispered in a voice so shrill it could possibly be used to produce sonar.

Matt pondered for a moment in the near empty tavern after he abated his chuckle. He recalled the three names that Ace had sworn him to strive away from at all costs; Aokiji, Akainu and Kizaru. He suddenly found himself in desperate desire for more information on the Admirals. How else could he defend Sora if she was right, and the Admirals were tracking them?

He looked over to the sleeping waitress at the desk. She was wearing a rather loose fitting maid's outfit with a pair of what seemed to be brilliant tap shoes, and her hair was a glimmering purple colour. Her face showed it self to be young and cutesy, around Matt and Sora's age as they rocked her awake.

"H-hello?" she lowly murmured, stretching and waking herself up with calisthenics.

"We were wondering if you knew where we could learn a little about the Marines." Sora said unconsciously, instantly recognising her bluntness as she attracted a pair of odd looks.

"Well... you've come at a bad time, since the Marines were driven out just recently... but my mom always said my dad was in the Marines before he left us, and she told me quite a bit, so..."

Although sceptical, the two pulled up two stools and sat comfortably in, scanning the tavern and seeing scratch marks all over from swords. They theorized it was because of the criminal and lawless nature of the town.

"Well... my dad was apparently one of these Vice Admirals at the time he met my mom in here, so he's probably retired by now since it's been 16 years since they met. Even though it was still rowdy because it was the start of the great pirate age, he was still jovial about Gold Roger's death, and came here one night. Let's just say my mom and he had a little much to drink, and by morning he was gone."

_Poor kid..., _Sora thought, her face falling into a crescent like frown.

"Anyways, my mom kept track of his activities over the years until she died. On her last day alive, she told me about my roots, and about the Marines. Admiral Sengoku had just become the Fleet Admiral, and this organization of pirates called the Shichibukai were pulled together for some great purpose. I'm sorry, I'm diverting the story... what did you want to know?"

Matt took focus to this, "Can you tell us anything about the Admirals?"

"Well... they get promoted from Vice Admiral and into Fleet Admiral. Oh! And they're connected to the Tenryuubito! But that's about all I've got... I think that they're all Devil Fruit users, because everybody talks about the destruction they leave in their wake."

_Logia's, no doubt..._

"You're not thinking about seeing one, are you? If your pirates," she peered down to Matt's sword and sash get up, "what this is, is suicide. The whole purpose of an Admiral is to capture only the strongest pirates the world has to offer. That's why only three are currently qualified and strong enough to lead beneath the Fleet Admiral."

Sora's fallen, sunken face began to raise again as she gave a warm smile, "Thank you, miss..."

"Lavender."

"Lavender, such a pretty name... see you, and thank you once again." She said lightly, grabbing Matt's sleeve and dragging him through the door before she heard the waitress's voice again.

"Wait... if you are heading out on a voyage... I have a request to make. I need to ensure something."

* * *

><p><em><span>Utile Town: Stryker Dawn<span>_

It had been several long minutes since TK had started running, and he had finally wound up back at the ship, almost like it had a homing device. He did not care that several bystanders cursed and sassed him as he budged past them, the only thing on his mind now was Kari. He knew, however, that he was nowhere near skilled enough to even think about navigating an entire ship with pirate colours flying high, but he did know of two dinghies at the rear, usually beside the Stryker. One was already missing, but TK paid it no mind as he lowered it into the sea with the pulley and jumped in, clutching the oar like it was the bridge between life and death. He kept a serpent like, blinking look at his Digivice tracker function.

_**Kari!**__... __**Kari!**__... __**KARI!**_

* * *

><p><em><span>G-2: Loading Docks<span>_

**(Cue BGM: One Piece - Overtaken)**

The swishing of the water and the bashing of the gorgeous waves against the portside at the Marine Branch drowned out the loud stomps of Marine Training going on in the courtyard, a few dry shots accompanying it, as the strange, curled moustached man stood, a Marine walking up to face him with a salute.

"What is your business here? This is a restrictive zone, all of Utile Town was told about that before we pulled out. We're training now to take back the town, so if that's your business, please leave." He said as if on role call.

The moustached man gave off a bad vibe, and the Marine thought he recognised him, but dismissed the notion as quickly as it came.

The man presented a letter of marquee, "This is from Vice Admiral Comil, I believe. It was said to be delivered along with Ms. Moda's milk delivery, which I am here to discuss." He added shrewdly.

"Thank goodness your here! He's been on the brink of a nervous breakdown from the terrible black coffee here and well... although a citizen wouldn't understand, an angry Vice Admiral can be a handful." He replied, almost hinting at dragging him to Comil's office before he waved it off.

_Infiltration, success. Now, just got to make this as quick as possible, get back to the kids and see to them so I can go. Moda said that the Marines had been fretting last time she was here over a man with Teach's alias, so there must be reports or something..._

It was Ace in disguise, a false adhesive moustache as pronounced as Gold Roger's own was bore upon his top lip and his usually shaggy hair combed back while his garb was stored at Moda's, a suit taking it's place.

Now, he had to do only one thing to perfectly integrate with the Marines, and he was way ahead of it, asking the Marine to show him to a bathroom.

Arriving at a small, almost closet sized bathroom down the strangely empty hall (possibly for the training outside) with a small, blue arrowed sign above it. Ace managed to slip behind the Marine and give him a blow in the back of the neck, knocking him out. Placing him into the bathroom after assuming his clothing and grabbing a nearby abandoned Marine hat, Ace's disguise was near perfection as he closed the bathroom door on the unconscious Marine and the suit he had just left. He didn't have long to work with if the training was already up to firing blanks, not to mention the uproar should anyone find the Marine.

He toiled around for several minutes, swerving around corners and using hiding spots behind lockers and doorways whenever the superior, patrolling officers turned up in the halls. He eventually found himself at a pumice stone stairwell, admiring the artwork as he headed upwards toward the second floor, where he knew Comil would be residing. After the little interaction with Dalmatian a few days ago, he decided to stay courteous around a Haki user.

As he got to the second floor, he peered through a nearby archway that revealed at least 6 Marines of officer ranks in the cafeteria. When Ace saw the sign for 'SELF SERVICE', his resolve dissipated for a moment, and when he came to, he was sat between two Marine officers with a stack of meat, spaghetti and other foods and beverages, making them feel sick and laugh at what they thought was their ally.

**(End BGM)**

* * *

><p><em><span>Utile Town: Stryker Dawn<span>_

Davis and his group had all but traversed the entirety of the island town, and had finally returned to the ship. They were still oblivious to the two missing dinghies, however. Yolei and Ken had returned from where they had gone when the two of them caught up with each other around an hour ago during the walk. Judging by the blush on them both, something had happened, not to mention Yolei's chirpiness and rare occasion of letting Davis's chides slide easily.

"So, should we just wait? I'm sure we set a deadline of some sort." Davis laughed unsurely.

Tai added, "Damned if I can remember. All I care about are my new threads. Look at me! I look great!"

"Not bad at all!" Yolei concurred lightning fast.

Davis raised his brow. Yolei was unnaturally nice and forthright now. He had pieced together in his head a scene of Ken and her being in an empty park, and then she had-

"Oh, you guys are back now?"

Turning back to the new voice, they made out Joe amongst the glorious sunlight and waves crashing against the port. After conversing for a while on the deck about their new lifestyle's grandeur and excitement, and complaining about the looks they got for their bounties in the town (Yolei more than the others, who seemed to enjoy the thrill).

Davis added rather haughtily, "Izzy and Mimi won't be back for a long time... they're on a _date _according to Tai! You said so, didn't you Tai-"

They hadn't even notice Tai entering the cabin areas after a lengthy time of waiting. Finding that Matt, Sora, TK, Ace and perhaps most condemningly Kari had not returned yet. He quickly returned to the deck to inform his crewmates of this.

After explaining this, Marina and Gatomon returned at the same time, both giving unreadable looks to each other for some reason. They were also told, and Marina stroked his forehead strangely.

"Well... why wasn't the kitty watching over the girl like she had done before?" Marina cut across the feline beside him.

Without shifting her gaze, she scoffed, "And leave you unwatched? Not likely..."

Before they could question what they were so angst about to each other, regardless of being crewmates, they heard a loud stampede of feet, and Yolei looked over the side of the ship and looked back with horror on her face.

"There's an army of Marines down there!" she barked, everyone capable of doing so releasing their Digimon from their device holdings.

_**-Realize!**_

With the flash of their respective colours, Veemon, Wormmon, Hawkmon Armadillomon were now ready to fight beside Gatomon as they tensed up, Marina leaning on the wooden deck railing and making it obvious he was in no mood to help the cat. The kids understood that despite their strangely raised physical prowess, they wouldn't last a minute before such a large squadron of Marines.

* * *

><p><em><span>G-2 Cafeteria Area<span>_

Ace was still eating his full blown plates of free food while the two Marines beside him laughed and spread jovial cheer amongst the few in the room. The adhesive moustache could have been stuck on by the food juices by the amount Ace ate. His suit was looking worse for wear as well.

One of the Marines beside him talked around his back to the other, "Anyways, do you really think that the Fleet Admiral's request for the New Spade Pirates really required a large rise in their bounties? Most of them are just kids by their pictures!"

Ace tensed, but made it look like it was from chewing as he listened to the other one, "Portgas D. Ace's bounty is unbelievable now! _**550, 000, 000 berries**_! Even by New World pirate standards, that is just ridiculous!"

Now, although they had no idea clearly, the great pirate of the topic gave a low snigger beside them, _It went up again, did it? Well, I am pretty awesome! Try and catch up now, Luffy!_

"I know it sounds stupendous for such an amount. There are few bigger than that, for example Marco the Phoenix, the Four Emperors and their crews. Can you believe that _White-freakin'-beard _still has a bounty that high? Can he even walk still?" he laughed.

"I know, but he is supposed to be able of fighting the Admirals, so I'd never like to meet him in a fight! He's an old bastard, but he's still a threat with his ability!"

If Ace's anger had ever surged to such a point as this, he might have had an aneurism. He rose to his feet, surprising the Marine officers as he looked at them both with slit like eyes, making them sweat a little with a nervous laugh at their Whitebeard conversation.

_**BOOSH!**_

Before they knew it, the two officers found themselves with palms tightly clamped onto their faces, slamming them hard into the tiled floor, cracking the space around their now bloodied faces as he rose up, snapping back into reality.

All 4 of the other Marines were now surrounding him with swords in their clutches, pointing at his food covered mouth as his moustache fell of by the picking of one of the swords.

All 4 felt a shiver as they recognized him, and Ace gave a sigh as he knocked them out in a flash with martial art combat styling, ducking fast and hitting them all in the gut before they could react, the canteen lady giving a squeal as he walked up to her and bowed in apology.

"S-sorry... you're Moda's mother, aren't you?"

Her fear filled eyes fled her, "Y-you know my little girl? Did she send you to get me or something?"

"W-well..." he gave a small chortle, "I kind of need to do a bit more than say that now... you see, once these guys wake up, they'll look for me, so, can you do me a favour and give Comil this?"

He handed her a folded piece of bunched up paper, wiping his food covered mouth with the Marine suit's sleeve before quickly undressing and taking a nearby officer's uniform. The medals were that of a Captain's.

Blushing due to his lack of embarrassment, the Marine cook gave a girlish squeak, "S-so what do you need me to d-do? What is this?"

"Moda's message. It's about the milk delivery. She saved my life and I wanted to deliver that to pay my debt. Now I've probably reunited a family so... I've gotta run. I've got something to do in Comil's office."

Before he could be thanked, he had already run off toward the corridor, going to the right and charging blindly, completely reliant upon how long the training would take and Ace would be found.

Moda's mother stood their, stupefied, _A pirate helping someone on a whim? Repaying a debt to a minor who saved their life? They really do overplay how dangerous Whitebeard Pirates are... I thought he would've killed me!_

* * *

><p><em><span>The Sea: 5 miles from G-2<span>_

TK had kept a feverish pace in his pursuit of Kari's signal, which had been set on a small rock formation upon the Digi-Map function, which would ultimately lead him to G-2, where not only Kari, but Ace now resided, unaware of each others presence in the Marine Branch.

Patamon had stayed patient, as trying to force his way out failed miserably without TK's permission. Suddenly, he found himself with the ascending feeling he usually got as TK said,

_**Patamon, Realize!**_

With the brilliant gold flash, Patamon found himself floating in mid-air with his ear wings, looking at TK. He had not noticed how dark the bags beneath his partner's eyes had grown.

"P-Patamon..." he panted, sweating a little, "We need to go f-faster...!" he pulled his friend gently yet forcefully into his embracing arms, a faint tremble vibrating the winged Digimon, "C-can you Digivolve? I need to know now... Kari's probably going to get hurt or worse because of my stupid mistake... even stupider than Davis!"

Patamon gave a frown, had TK held onto the grudge that he seemed to have let slide in front of Kari after confessing his lie?

Not wanting to upset him further after noticing how utterly miserable the boy looked, Patamon nodded rather nervously and rustled out of his hug and into the air, TK's shaky hand raising the Digivice as it glowed gold.

_**Patamon Digivolve to... Angemon!**_

The omnipresent angel presence seemed to have a much more cold pressure about him than usual, reflective of his partner's current mood. Jumping onto the angel's back as they took flight, the dinghy was left to drift in the sea.

After a few minutes of soaring, they finally came within spiting distance of G-2, from high in the air with the sun at their backs, blotting them from sight. They saw a large cell of bodies moving rapidly in the courtyard below, training. Assessing the surrounding areas for any prisoner cells, they concluded that Kari was below ground in a dungeon.

Looking over to his left, TK spotted a fast approaching Marine battleship, preparing to dock at G-2 soon. TK and Angemon were in synch with their thoughts. Angemon reeled back his fist as TK rose up to the angel's shoulder as his opposite fist glowed.

_**Hand of Fate!**_

Firing a quick blast at the portion of the ship with no people around it, Angemon set the mast on fire, smiling apologetically as all of the Marines aboard leapt off in light of the situation. TK noticed the trainees running toward the ship's direction, clamouring around the port area.

The partners quickly chose a spot behind the building, which luckily had an entrance they used to gain entrance after landing silently, Angemon devolving as they entered in search of Kari.

* * *

><p><em><span>G-2: Outside Comil's Office<span>_

Ace's search had not borne any fruit, as after a subtle yet thorough search, Comil's office had turned out to be nothing but small, filtered reports on small time pirates and also a minor amount on the Four Emperors. Judging by the neatness of the room, Comil was clearly miserly and a clean freak.

He heard stomping coming from around the corner, and slipped behind the archway into the armoury. He expected it to be the ones he knocked out (and it was), but they cried about another incident.

"SOMEONE SET FIRE TO THE SCOUT SHIP! THE INFORMATION ON THE PIRATE ATTACKING BANARO ISLAND IS ON THAT SHIP!" one yelled as the footsteps faded down the stairwell and outside.

_A pirate... that could mean..._

Ace followed downstairs, intent on getting to the apparent burned ship. He knew that he could get on board easily thanks to his Devil Fruit, but if he did get the information, his disguise would be tattered and burned, meaning he would need to leave quickly on a 'borrowed' Marine ship.

* * *

><p><em><span>Utile Town: Before the Stryker Dawn<span>_

The Marines had been decimated by the unseen, unfightable midget brigade called Digimon and their powers. Many were done in by Veemon's headbutt, which seemed to have the force of a bombshell. They had grabbed a bloodied one with messy blonde hair and broken, half moon glasses and rocked him awake.

Tai spat with venom, "What have you guys done to TK, Kari, Izzy, Mimi, Matt and Sora!"

The Marine felt embarrassed at being interrogated by a youth, but as Veemon shook his fist in his face, he loosened his pursed lips, "I have no idea about those three, but 'Frail Maiden' was brought in by a member of CP7 over an hour ago to G-2."

Tai's face sank, and his insides fell with an intense burning sensation. He always got this whenever his little sister was in trouble. This rated up there with the time his sister nearly died and when Myotismon almost killed her. He knew with what little historical accuracy he had that pirates were executed in public. That image seared his mind.

"...NOW!" he thundered, everyone a little shaken, but all nodding as they rallied back to the ship and clamoured up the rope net Joe threw down. Ace, Sora, Matt, Izzy, Mimi and TK could wait; they needed to get to G-2 immediately.

They unconsciously knew that the Marines they left behind wouldn't threaten those left behind as it was Revolutionary territory. Armour Digivolving Hawkmon into Halsemon, Armadillomon into Submarimon and Digivolving Veemon into ExVeemon, they all got onto the flying types, while Cody got into Submarimon's cockpit and went into the sea. They had all been quickly told by Davis about the tracking capability, and began following Kari and (to their surprise) TK's crest energy toward G-2.

* * *

><p><em><span>G-2 Prisoner Cells<span>_

Kari was cold, and felt a queasy feeling rise up from her stomach as she pulled at the chains around her wrists, feeling distressed at her new clothes having ruffled frills and dirt and dust stains. She could hardly see, minus a small torch outside the cell that illuminated part of her features. She felt concerned at the bloodied and anger rapt individual chained across from her.

He was a rather large man with a muscular build, his arms shown off by his sleeveless blue tank top that extended over his beige denim shorts and sandals. He had a small scar that ran down the side of his face and showed in the light awkwardly with his closed eye.

Kari didn't feel at all courageous, as the scar put her of conversing. Not only could he be a notorious serial killer, but his scar made her feel weak. She had seen too many sickening ones on the Horai Peninsula.

Nonetheless, the moss cover walls dripped water irritatingly, so she plucked up the courage and raised her head, "U-um... Mr? D-do you know of a way out of here?"

He opened his slanted eyes and narrowed his arch brows as if angry naturally, "Girl... you're one of Portgas D. Ace's new crew, aren't you..." he had a silky hiss in his voice, but it wasn't as cold as she expected.

"W-well, yeah... I guess you could say I'm a pirate..." she said, clearly unhappy about it. Strangely but relievingly, the man did not pry.

"Well, just wait it out. If you're his crewmate, he'll get you out; if you're other friends do not. And, as you're his mate, you may have the protection of Whitebeard's name on you. It's a kind of shield that few dare to challenge."

"Why is that...?"

He looked astounded with a flicker of the torch light, and let out a hysterical laugh, "Girl, c'mon! You have _never _heard of the old bastard? He's like a harbinger of death, for the love of –"

She blushed heavily, and changed the subject to lessen the humiliation, "N-no! Of course I know who _he _is! I was wondering why you're here!"

His laugh hardened, and eventually, his steely face returned, "I'm a pirate too. Name's Primrose, a 90, 000, 000 bounty head, at your service, 'Frail Maiden,' Kari." His voice gained a little venom, "I am one of the two of my crew that survived a surprise attack near the Horai islands. I got betrayed by my remaining crewmate so that the Marines would toss him off at the Horai Peninsula!"

Kari's face turned a very pale grey, "Oh my god..."

There was a sound behind her, toward the stairway, of a creaky, rusty door opening. Her face gained a mixture of elation and suspense as the face came into view of the torch's flame. TK, looking very unwell and tired as he had done on the way there, and Patamon, who had a curved smile on his face.

Primrose's hard as iron features softened into a small, tranquil smirk, "Told you so, kid."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Kari's cavalry has arrived, but he doesn't seem at all well. What is wrong with TK? What was Matt and Sora's discussion with Lavender about? And will Ace's information retrieval go well on the burning ship, or will the other members of the New Spade Pirates raze G-2 to the ground in their desperate search for Kari?

Find out next time on One Piece x Digimon: Dimensional Trap!

_**Please Review!**_

Holy crap, can it be?

Dimensional Trap has had an update? Goodness gracious!

It may seem a bit rushed, but I thought it was well pulled together!

Here's to the hopeful continuation of Dimensional Trap!


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